RealClearMarkets (Opinion)
U.S. center-right, free-market
Background
RealClearMarkets was launched in the mid-2000s as a sister site to RealClearPolitics, which John McIntyre and Tom Bevan founded in 2000. Forbes Media bought a 51% stake in the parent company in 2007. In 2015 Crest Media and the original owners bought out much of that stake. In October 2025 Stagwell announced a 35% investment in RealClearPolitics. The site mostly aggregates and publishes opinion columns from economists, think-tank scholars, investors and former officials, and it also runs some original content. Its editorial lean is toward free markets, lower taxes and less regulation, and Media Bias/Fact Check rates it Right-Center, with a Mostly Factual rating because some of its sources have mixed records. Because it relies on outside contributors, its stance on specific policies varies. In 2026 it ran many columns against Trump's tariffs, including pieces arguing they hurt affordability and credibility, and it also ran supportive pieces, such as Navarro's column on the shrinking trade deficit. This split reflects a free-market tradition that sits uneasily with protectionist policy, alongside general sympathy for the administration's tax and deregulation goals.
Sources
- RealClearMarkets - Bias and Credibility - Media Bias/Fact Check
- Real Clear Politics - Bias and Credibility - Media Bias/Fact Check
- RealClearPolitics - Media Bias & Ratings (AllSides)
- Trump's Tariffs Pose a Danger to Political and Economic Liberty
- Trump's America Is Exporting, and the Trade Deficit Is Shrinking
- Trump's China Tariffs Have Backfired
Profile compiled 2026-10-22; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.