Landsburg supports free trade and opposes protectionism, and his writings in the topic have appeared in various newspapers and magazines, including "The New York Times" and "The Washington Post". Landsburg's comparison of protectionism to racism in "Forbes" magazine prompted a response from Pat Buchanan. On April 8, 2005, Landsburg debated protectionism and free trade with John Gibson on the Fox News Channel's "The Big Story". Before the 2004 presidential election Landsburg stated that he planned to vote against John Kerry because of his belief that John Edwards, Kerry's running mate, was a "xenophobe" due to his opposition to free trade. He compared Edwards' views to David Duke's racism.