James Talarico SLAMS Ken Paxton's Corruption LIVE ON AIR

The guy who has the Republican nomination for U .S.Senate in Texas has a big anniversary today.Today, August 3rd, is the anniversary of his mugshot being taken on the day he turned himself in to face charges in a multi -count securities fraud indictment.Those are charges he later settled.Texas Republican Ken Paxton was turned into the FBI by his own staff.

In the Texas attorney general's office, they turned him into the FBI for bribery and abusing his office.Ken Paxton was then impeached by the Texas House of Representatives, including 60 votes for his impeachment from his fellow Republicans.But they didn't remove him from office.He was only not removed from office after that impeachment because of the Senate trial in that impeachment.You remember this from Trump's impeachment, right?You get impeached in the House and then you go on trial in the Senate.

It was the same thing for Ken Paxton in Texas.And the trial in that impeachment in the Texas Senate was overseen by Texas's Republican lieutenant governor.Texas's Republican lieutenant governor literally, I'm not kidding, literally took $3 million from two billionaire Ken Paxton supporters right before he started overseeing that trial.And then wouldn't you know, everything in that trial really seemed to go Ken Paxton's way.And so they kept him in office.On a $150 ,000 government salary, Ken Paxton has not been able to explain how he has amassed a multimillion -dollar real estate portfolio that includes at least 15 homes and parcels of land, including three houses he simultaneously claimed as his primary residence and one home where he has been registered to vote, even though he definitely doesn't live there.

Even though his campaign says he follows all voter -related laws, Ken Paxton himself refuses to answer any questionsabout where he votes and if it's legal, even as he stokes fears of voter fraud for everybody else.To get a sense of Ken Paxton's reputation in Texas, the kind of thing that Texas voters have been hearing about Ken Paxton recently, consider that while Ken Paxton was primarying Republican U .S.Senator John Cornyn, Cornyn's ads against Ken Paxton looked like this.

It's voting time, so let's cut through the bullshit.Crooked Ken Paxton cheated on his wife.She's divorcing him on biblical grounds.So now Paxton's wrecking another home, sleeping around with a married mother of seven.

Okay, so that's who Texas Republicans have nominated to take John Cornyn's Senate seat in Texas this year.But if you ask Texas Democrats, they will tell you that actually that's LBJ's Senate seat.And this is the man Texas Democrats have nominated to beat Ken Paxton and flip that state, flip that seat blue.

The president of the United States just said that I insulted Jesus.You want to know what insults Jesus?Kicking the sick off their health care while cutting taxes for billionaires.You know what insults Jesus?Deporting the stranger and separating babies from their mothers.You know what insults Jesus?

Bombing innocent school children in Iran and sending our brave men and women off to die in another forever war.You know what insults Jesus?Covering up the Epstein files and then refusing to prosecute a single person in them.

That is James Tallarico.He's the Democratic nominee for theUnited States Senate in Texas.That clip is from his TikTok channel.That clip has 24 .3 million views.And that tells you a little bit, a little something about James Tallarico's strength as a candidate and his strength as a political communicator.

You may have heard about James Tallarico's appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, where Joe Rogan told him point blank that he should run for president.You may have seen the viral clip of James Tallarico opposing the Texas Republican's requirement to post the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.That clip went viral because it included James Tallarico giving a full biblical exposition of not just how unconstitutional and un -American it was, but how un -Christian it was as well.He was able to speak to that both as a Texas Democrat and as a seminarian.You may have seen his appearance on The View, which led the FCC to start a, quote, equal time investigation of ABC for the crime of putting on James Tallarico.You may have seen his appearance with Stephen Colbert, which CBS lawyers told Colbert to cancel.

And Colbert then did the interview purely for his YouTube channel, where it promptly got about 10 million views and sparked millions of dollars in fundraising for James Tallarico's campaign.Texas has 32 million people in two time zones with 20 media markets.It is profoundly expensive to run there.And Democrats have felt for a long time like the deck is really stacked against them there.Democrats tell themselves every couple of years that maybe this is the year they can finally start winning there.But no Democrat has won statewide in Texas since 1994.

Is this year different?There is something about James Tallarico and, frankly, something about Ken Paxton, too.that makes this U .S.S.Senate race seem legitimately winnable for Texas for Democrats.And there is something specifically about James Tallarico that I think has really driven Republicans to distraction.

They are quite palpably unnerved by him.They are desperate for people to not hear him speak.It is that same something that has Democrats nationwide talking about James Tallarico as more than just a promising candidate in this one race.Democrats nationwide have been talking about him as somebody who's really important, perhaps, to the whole future of the Democratic Party.Joining us now for the interview is James Tallarico, Democratic nominee for Texas Senate.Mr. Tallarico, thank you so much for being here.

Thank you for having me. I really appreciate the chance to meet you in person.We've never talked before.We've been really looking forward to this.

Well, same here.

So talk me into the idea.that you can win a statewide race in Texas right now, in 2026, when Beto O 'Rourke couldn't with that remarkable campaign, with either of his two remarkable campaigns, when Colin Allred couldn't, when Wendy Davis couldn't.These are all candidates who got a lot of national attention, got a lot of sort of Democratic hopes up.Why are you different?

George Carlin has this great line that inside every cynic is a wounded idealist.And so I just want to speak to all the wounded idealists who are watching this show right now and trying to figure out if they can believe that winning Texas is possible.2018 is when Beto O 'Rourke got within two and a half points of beating Ted Cruz.The backlash that we're seeing to the extremism and the corruption in our government is bigger than it was in 2018.And then I didn't think it was possible to find a candidate worse than Ted Cruz, but I think we found him in Ken Paxton.I mean, this is the most corrupt politician in our state, one of the most corrupt in the entire country.

You mentioned that since taking office,he's become a multimillionaire, all while the pay of most Texans has remained stagnant for years, for decades.He now owns 15 homes, while most Texans can't afford one.He's taken bribes from wealthy donors, all while he blocks overtime pay for Texas workers and guts our healthcare.I mean, he was one of the attorneys general led the fight against the Affordable Care Act, which has led to premium skyrocketing for Texans all over the state.And you just saw this month that he's taken these lavish vacations to Iceland, to England on the 4th of July.

Quite a decision to spend our 250th anniversary from the British.

Independent from Moira?Yeah, right.Exactly.

He was with the British on that anniversary.And most Texans can't afford to take a vacation, given this cost of living crisis.So Ken Paxton's corruption is costing us in the state of Texas.And it's why the people closest to Ken Paxton know he's unfit for office.You mentioned that his own party impeached him in the Texas House.His own staff reported him to the FBI.

His own defense attorney just endorsed me in this race.I'm kind of expecting his family dog to run away and head over to my house any day now.I think in a time when we're all so divided, there is one thing that Texans, Democrats, independents and Republicans can agree on, and that's That's that we can't afford Ken Paxton's corruption.

Listening to you talk about Ken Paxton that way, I'm struck by the contrast in the way you just sort of made the case against him there.And that clip that I just played from that John Cornyn, brutal primary ad, hitting him on personal ethical issues, the very messy divorce, the allegations of adultery, those expensive vacations that you just mentioned.referenced.Part of the reason those got a lot of tabloid attention is because he was taking those vacations with a woman who's not his wife.She's also associated with some of the properties that he's been found to have, sort of without explanation.I'm wondering if that's a conscious decision from you to avoid what may be salacious charges, but potentially really politically resonant charges, about his personal character.

I mean, I think the only thing worse than Ken Paxton's personal cheating is his public cheating.I mean, yes, he's betrayed the people closest to him.You mentioned this being the anniversary of his famous mugshot, and that was because he was indicted for securities fraud, for investment fraud.And what's fascinating about that story, I'm not a lawyer, but when you read about what happened, he was scamming his own friends.He convinced his own friends to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into a tech company, and then he didn't tell him that he was getting a commission off those investments.And so I've said on the campaign trail, if Ken Paxton is willing to scam his own friends for a quick buck, what makes you think he's not going to scam you in the United States Senate?

And the last thing I'll say is I served with with Ken Paxton's wife.She's a state senator in Texas, Senator Angela Paxton.And I've I've great respect for the senator.We don't agree on every issue, but I respect her public service.And the last thing I want to do is kind of bring up all this personal stuff when there's so much public stuff to really prosecute the case on.And so I'm just going to stick to Ken Paxton's public record, because there's plenty of material there to run a campaign and make the choice in this election clear for the people of Texas.

Your relationship with Republicans in the legislature is interesting politically, because as a Democrat in the Texas legislature, obviously you're in the minority.Republicans have had that had a lock on control in both chambers for a long time.But still, as a Democrat in the House, you have been able to pass a remarkable amount of legislation where you were lead sponsor as a Democrat and you still got stuff made made into law.What should the country understand, you're running for this position in the United States Senate, understand about how, as a Democratic Texas U .S.senator, you'd be able to sort of put those lessons to work at the federal level.

I don't think that Democrats nationwide have much faith that there is any and anything to be achieved by working with Republicans at the federal level.But you've done it at the state level.

Yeah.And so I've passed 60 bipartisan bills through the Texas legislature.And these are not, you know, nibble around the edges incremental bills.I mean, I passed the largest early childhood education bill in our state's history.I passed the first ever cap on insulin co -pays in our state, passed a major reform to our justice system, allowing incarcerated minors to earn a high school diploma.So these are major bills that are making a real impact on Texans.

And I think the key, you know, my faith is central in my life.It's central in my public service.And there's a teaching from my tradition to love your enemies.And it's become kind of cliche, but it really is a radical teaching.One, it acknowledges that you're going to have opponents, right?I mean, if you're trying to do right by your neighbors, if you're trying to speak truth to power, you're going to run into some resistance, some people who disagree with you.

But you're called to love those opponents, those enemies, just as much as you love the people you're fighting for.And so in the state legislature, like I've been able to form real friendships, real relationships with my Republican colleagues, and we're fightingone day, tooth and nail.If you see me on the back mic in the well of the State House, I have no problem going toe -to -toe when I need to.But then the next day, we may find a piece of common ground that we can actually get something done on.And I'm always going to seize that common ground whenever I can.

And so we're told that it's a choice between people who fight and people who get things done.I think the people of Texas deserve a senator who can do both.And I've shown in the statehouse that I can do both.

One of the things that I find it personally most challenging to be empathetic about or like you're talking about love your enemy.One of the things that I just I have a real hard time getting over and just thinking about in a way that doesn't get me personally exercised is when people use political power to make sure that other people can't vote.

Yes.

when you are using the prerogatives of your control of the state or your control of the federal government, whatever it is, to make sure that you can't be ousted.One of the things that I always kind of lecture people about when I'm hearing them get when I'm hearing Democrats get too optimistic about Texas is that Texas has the second lowest voter turnout in the country.And it's not because Texans are apathetic.It's because it's really hard to vote in Texas.Texas Republicans have systematically attacked the franchise so that, you know, you can't there's not only is there no same day voter registration, there's no online voter registration, there's no automatic voter registration, like when you get a driver's license or something.And it's And plus, there's all of this, not just fear mongering, but threatening people around these these sort of phantoms of voter fraud.

I don't know how you both compete for people's votes and constructively and empathetically compete with the people's votes.those votes away from your constituents and their own?

Yeah, it's why a tax on voting rights is a red line for me, and it should be a red line for all of us, right?We can disagree on all kinds of issues, issues of moral importance, issues of life and death.But the key is that we always have a shot in the next election to make our case to the people and get a shot at winning political power.and attacks on voting rights.This redistricting power grab.Those are attempts to to to rig the rules of the game so that we don't have a shot at at making our case to the people in the next election.

And so it's why a year ago a year ago today my colleagues and I in the State House broke quorum to shine a national spotlight.on this redistricting power grab.I mean, that's an extraordinary step, right?I mean, we have to love democracy even when we lose.And the people of Texas, at least at a statewide level, have voted for Republicans historically, at least over the last 30 years.And when you break quorum, you are disrupting representative democracy.

But it is a tool in our Constitution, in our state, because it's an important check on the abuses of the majority.And when you manufacture the lines of a district to guarantee a certain outcome, you are robbing our neighbors of their God -given rights at the ballot box.And I say God -given intentionally.It doesn't matter if you're religious or not, but I think we can all agree that these rights don't come from politicians.They are inherent to us as human beings, as citizens of this country.And when you are robbing someone of those God -given rights, you're robbing them of their ability to shape their own destiny.

For us, as a community, as a state, to shape our own destiny.

Do you think there's a way to turn it back, though?I mean, I agree with your critique of what's wrong about it, but I don't see any utility.ahead, either in Texas or federally.It's even worse.

Here's where we disagree, because you mentioned that this is LBJ's Senate seat.And if we win this seat in Texas, of all places, I think we can build the political will to restore the Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law by Lyndon Johnson.And so it's only appropriate that winning his seat could be the key.in restoring federal voting rights protections for all Americans, banning gerrymandering in every state, blue states and red states alike, so that we can truly have free and fair elections in every community.

Stay right there.We're going to take a quick break.We'll be back with James Tallarico right after this.Stay with us.Back with us live on set is Texas State Representative James Tallarico.He's the Democratic Party's nominee for the open Senate seat in Texas this year.

Representative Tallarico, thank you again for being here.Thanks for having me.Critics have argued that one of the things that makes you unelectable in Texas, is a reason that you can't win in Texas, is because you have been empathetic toward and voiced support for trans people, that you have not been willing to join in in the demonization of trans people that motivates so many candidates right now and that the Republican Party has relied on so heavily in general election campaigns.What's your response to that?

I mean, I don't think we win by selling people out.And we're refusing to do that in this campaign.This is a campaign of, by, and for all Texans.And I think people are really tired of these culture war fights that are designed to tear us apart, designed to get us angry.I mean, there are difficult issues.Trying to figure out trans athletes in sports

That's an issue where we could actually come to a policy solution.But instead, politicians like Ken Paxton, they use those difficult issues to rile people up, to divide us, to distract us in order to win power for themselves.I mean, it's divide and conquer.It's the oldest strategy in the world.And so what we're trying to do in this campaign is to is bring people together.I've said that the most radical thing you can do in an era of division is unite people.

And we're not going to win with the politics of division.We we can't win that game.We have to change the game.And I think what's exciting about this campaign is is so many people are hungry for that kind of politics of union and of friendship of love.And people have been so starved of it for so long now.I mean we've we've seen what a politics of fear looks like.

We've seen what a politics of anger and rage looks like.But it's been a while since politics has made us feel hopeful or excited about the future or brings us together and creates community.And that's I think that's what we're building in Texas in this election.

Well, you had a very difficult, very hard -fought primary to get this nomination against Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.And that was a very racially striated result.She had a lot of support from black Texans and you did not.I mean, Texas has more African -American residents than any other state in the country.Black Democrats are absolutely the backbone of the Texas state Democratic Party.What are you doing to repair any remaining bitterness from that campaign to reach Black Texans, to convince them that you're their candidate, too?

Yeah, I want to pick up on something you just said.When I win this seat as the next U .S.senator from Texas, I'll represent the most African -Americans of any senator in the state—in the country.And that work of representing Black Texansnow.

It doesn't start the day after the election.And so I've been traveling the whole state.I've been convening private conversations with Black business leaders and elected officials and community leaders and faith leaders.I've been visiting Black churches and Black -owned businesses, appearing on Black media throughout the state, particularly our local Dallas Weekly and Houston Defender, but also podcasts and YouTube shows where folks are now getting their information and their news.And I've been rolling out policy proposals based on all these conversations.that can meet the needs of Black Texans.

Obviously, there are issues that we all face, right?The rising cost of groceries and gas and housing and child care and prescription drugs.And then there are issues that Black Texans face uniquely.And you think about the maternal mortality crisis in our state that is three times deadlier for Black women.Harris County, home to Houston, is the deadliest place for a black woman to give birth in the entire country.And so we've rolled out a comprehensive plan to combat that crisis.

We've been visiting our HBCUs.We did a town hall at Prairie View and then gave the commencement address at Paul Quinn College in Dallas, the oldest HBCU.We've been talking about how to bring HBCU funding up to parity, because there's a gap in funding between our historically black colleges and universities and similar institutions with a similar percentage of low -income students.And imagine if we actually closed that gap, what our HBCUs in Texas could do.And then we already talked about voting rights.I mean, we have seen the most aggressive attack on black political power since Jim Crow.

Cutting of the Voting Rights Act, these racist redistricting maps.And I think the first thing that we have to do, to your point earlier, When we win a Senate majority, our first priority before we get to housing and health care and education has to be passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and guaranteeing that all of our neighbors, particularly our black and brown neighbors,can access their God -given rights at the ballot box.

One last question I want to ask you about, even though I've just been told we're out of time.No, no.Forget it.I'm breaking the rules.

It's your show.

Sort of.Things that I was—I came across in prepping for today's show was interesting images out of San Antonio from just a few days ago, on Friday in San Antonio, where I know you were a middle school teacher at the very beginning of your career, people protesting there against ICE detention facilities, ICE—immigrant prisons, a group of Democratic Texas members of Congress recently toured Dilley, the family detention center in South Texas.And what they found there was shocking in terms of the conditions in which people were held.But they also found things that were just shocking categorically.They said that the youngest person they found incarcerated there was two months old.Should Dilley be shut down?

You know, my friend and colleague, Congressman Joaquin Castro, has done a lot of work on this.And he's He's telling me about the human rights abuses that are happening at Dilley.It has to end.And that can't be on our watch.And this is not the last time or the first time that we've seen a baby, an infant being treated this way in Dilley.I am sick to my stomach seeing the abuses that have been committed against our undocumented neighbors in Texas and all over this country.

You mentioned that I was a teacher on the west side of San Antonio.I taught a lot of undocumented students.In Houston, we saw ICE murder Lorenzo Salgado, our fellow Texan who had lived in Houston for 35 years.And as a construction worker, he sent his three boys to college.His oldest is a public school teacher, his middle son's an engineer, his youngest is still in school.I mean, Lorenzo Salgado.

embodied the American dream.And the fact that we are spending our limited law enforcement resources on Lorenzo Salgado on a two -month -old, those are law enforcement resources that aren't going to actual immigration and customs enforcement.Those resources aren't going to keeping us safe and removing people who actually mean to do us harm, which we should do.Instead, those resources are going to masked men and unmarked vehicles that are terrorizing our communities all over the state.They're going to these detention centers like Dilley.And I think we need a senator from Texas who is going to hold ICE accountable, who's going to end these human rights abuses in these facilities, and who's going to fight for comprehensive immigration reform, finally, so we can stop grandstanding on this issue and actually fix it.

Texas State Representative James Tallarico is the Democratic Party's nominee for the open U .S.Senate seat in Texas this year.It's really nice to meet you.I'm glad to have a chance to talk to you this way.Come back.

Thank you.I will.Good luck.

Thank you.

We'll be right back.Stay with us.