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The MeidasTouch Podcast

James Talarico is Ready to Turn Texas Blue

27 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What recent polling trends indicate about Donald Trump's approval in Texas?

0.031 - 26.545 Ben Meiselas

Donald Trump's approval is plummeting in Texas, net negative 19, according to the latest economist poll. Donald Trump and the GOP losing support in Texas, is Texas turning blue? We got the latest polling results out on hypothetical Senate matchups in Texas, where James Tallarico, the Democratic candidate would be leading

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26.525 - 43.504 Ben Meiselas

plus five in a hypothetical matchup with the MAGA Republican Trump endorsed candidate, Ken Paxton, the most corrupt human being, perhaps not just in the country and that's saying a lot, but the entire world, leads five against Paxton.

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43.764 - 61.545 Ben Meiselas

He's up three in a head-to-head against John Cornyn right there, who Donald Trump passed over after Cornyn did everything he could try to do at the last minute to get Donald Trump's endorsement. Now you have Cornyn panicked as this evening is Judgment Day.

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61.565 - 80.732 Ben Meiselas

The Republican primary is taking place and by most expectations, Ken Paxton is now expected to beat Cornyn, although we'll see what the results ultimately show. And so now MAGA Republican Senator Cornyn, who tries to act like I'm a little more centrist, if you will.

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81.053 - 105.068 Ben Meiselas

Meanwhile, Donald Trump was posting these AI photos of himself hunting rhinos, Republicans in name only, which I think was also a message directed at Cornyn. And Cornyn said the following about how he believes that Paxton is gonna basically destroy Republican chances of keeping control of the Senate, and it could trickle down to congressional races.

Chapter 2: Is Texas turning blue due to the GOP's struggles?

105.128 - 106.532 Ben Meiselas

Here, play this clip.

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106.512 - 122.074 Unknown

Ken Paxton's flaws and the baggage he brings to the general election is going to be exploited to the fullest by James Tallarico and by Democrats. James Tallarico raised $27 million in just the first quarter of this year.

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122.054 - 135.371 Ben Meiselas

Now, one of the things we're seeing as well is Trump losing Latino support at massive, massive rates. Take a listen right here as it's described on CNN with Harry Enten.

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Play this. Now, what a different world. Oy vey, if I'm the president of the United States, because just take a look here. Okay, Latino voters on Trump. He won a record share for a Republican presidential nominee, 46% of that vote going all the way back since we had the advent of exit polls back in 1972.

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Chapter 3: How does James Talarico's candidacy impact the Texas Senate race?

153.872 - 180.04 Unknown

And look at where he is today. His job approval rating in an average of CNN polls this year, 28%. That is an 18 point drop, the bottom, has completely fallen out when it comes to Donald Trump and Latino voters. He won record numbers of them back in 2024, and they have abandoned him with the utmost just dislike of what he is doing so far, just 28%, a drop of 18 points.

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180.02 - 191.038 Unknown

Now, among Latinos, it was Latino men who were driving this movement toward him in 2024. Where are they now? Yeah, you think that this movement is a lot? What about Latino men? Oh, my goodness gracious.

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Chapter 4: What are the implications of Ken Paxton's expected victory in the GOP primary?

191.118 - 212.293 Unknown

Okay, Latino male voters in the 2024 election versus Kamala Harris. Look at this. Trump won him by 10 points. Look at the net approver rating now, minus 40%. 41 points. That is a movement of 51 points, a shift away from the president of the United States. Latino male voters supercharged that record performance that Donald Trump had with Latino voters.

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212.594 - 221.67 Unknown

And they, like Latino women, Latinas, are moving against the president of the United States. Minus 41 points. Again, the bottom has just completely fallen.

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Chapter 5: How is Latino voter sentiment shifting against Donald Trump?

221.65 - 234.754 Unknown

fallen out, and of course, when you look across that political map, there are so many races that will be involving a lot of Latino voters. And when you see numbers like this, I just go, uh-oh, if I am a Republican running for Congress.

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234.774 - 253.941 Ben Meiselas

And the main area where he's losing support amongst Latino voters is also where it relates to the economy. Donald Trump was making all of these promises, I'm gonna make your lives better. And he's really harmed the economic outlook in the Latino community and across the country in general, play this clip.

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254.101 - 274.147 Unknown

But one of those races in just a moment, but wait, there's more before that, which is look, this new CNN poll this week talked about just how people have enormous concerns about the economy and enormous disapproval of the president on it. What are Latinos saying about that? Yeah, okay, I'm gonna take two for one here. It's a two for one special here on a Friday, or a mid-Friday morning, I guess.

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274.167 - 294.617 Unknown

Latino voters on Trump and the economy. Look, one of the big reasons why Donald Trump put in that record performance with Latinos back in 2024 was because the issue of the economy. They trusted Donald Trump by a three-point margin against Kamala Harris. But look at his net approval rating on the economy now. Oh! Yeah, Johnny B said it best over there. Look at that, minus 46 points.

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294.637 - 309.189 Unknown

That's, again, another near 50-point movement against the president of the United States on the number one issue. No wonder the bottom has fallen out with Latino voters and Latino men in particular. And you're talking about one of those races, right, Johnny B? One of those races.

Chapter 6: What strategies is James Talarico using to connect with Texas voters?

309.469 - 325.51 Unknown

Why don't we go to Texas, right? The chance that the Dems win the Texas Senate race. Of course, James Tallarico gonna be that Democratic nominee. Look at this, in January, look at this. He had a 19% chance. of winning. Look at where we are now. A 45% chance of winning. That number is up through the roof.

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325.731 - 330.681 Unknown

And part of the reason that number is up through the roof is because a lot of Latino voters turn against President Trump.

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Chapter 7: What challenges does Talarico face from his opponents?

330.961 - 335.831 Unknown

And it could be that they turn against Republican nominees for Congress and for the United States Senate in particular.

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335.891 - 357.278 Ben Meiselas

President Trump just speak. And now even state regime media, which calls itself Fox, They're out there saying, look, Ken Paxton is a really flawed candidate. If he were to win in this Republican primary for the United States Senate, Republicans are in big trouble of now losing the United States Senate. Here's what they said on Fox. Let's play this clip.

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357.258 - 371.772 Unknown

And Cornyn is a huge prolific fundraiser, very popular. So I think the caucus was pretty down yesterday. Hopefully John Cornyn can still win because Ken Paxton is an extremely flawed candidate. And I sense the worst is yet to come about his background.

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372.113 - 396.501 Ben Meiselas

And I guess you have Ken Paxton going around and I guess his line of attack on James Tallarico is to call Tallarico Tofu Tallarico. And Trump's like, the guy's a vegan. First off, he's not a vegan. Tofu Tallarico. I mean, there are so many significant issues that are going on. You making up that the guy's a vegan. Nothing wrong if he was, but he isn't. And then calling him Tofu Tallarico.

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396.521 - 426.094 Ben Meiselas

What are you, three years old? Three-year-olds don't behave like this. No offense to three-year-olds. Let's play this clip. We got one more. Tofu Tallarico. So is Texas a purple state now? Is Texas turning blue? What's gonna happen tonight in the Republican primaries with Ken Paxton and John Cornyn? How is that going to impact the general election?

426.074 - 432.121 Ben Meiselas

Let's bring in James Tallarico, Democratic candidate for Senate seat in Texas.

Chapter 8: How can listeners support James Talarico's campaign for the Senate?

432.561 - 449.601 Ben Meiselas

James, it's great to see you. What are you, I mean, everyone wants to know your perspective of what you're thinking about tonight. Ken Paxton, John Cornyn, I know you put out statements. They're both, you know, MAGA billionaire class people. You're going to take them on regardless. But what are you thinking going into this evening?

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450.222 - 466.898 James Talarico

Yeah, you know, on primary night a few months ago, I said it doesn't matter what happens in this Republican runoff because we already know who we're running against. We're running against the billionaire mega donors who have taken over this political system, who've taken over this economic system.

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466.878 - 486.49 James Talarico

And both Ken Paxton and John Cornyn have a history of serving those billionaire mega donors instead of serving the people of Texas. So in my mind, they are two sides of the same corrupt coin. And I look forward to prosecuting the case against either Paxton or Cornyn, whoever comes out of the runoff tonight.

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486.47 - 516.409 Ben Meiselas

all right can we do the choose your own adventure novel here though and do uh paxton and then and then do cornish i mean so let's choose our adventure trump endorses paxton one of the most corrupt individuals in text perhaps the world like one of the most corrupt individuals in the world and maybe human human history you know and so he's out there ultra maga trump you give me marching orders directly what i was so let's let's talk about that path what do you what what goes down there

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516.71 - 539.464 James Talarico

Yeah, Ken Paxton embodies everything that's wrong with our political system. He was impeached by his own party for using his public office to enrich himself and his donors at our expense. And that kind of corruption is the rot at the core of this broken system. It's why we can't afford anything.

539.965 - 558.26 James Talarico

It's why we can't get ahead no matter how hard we work, because billionaires buy these politicians like Ken Paxton, and then these puppet politicians turn around and rig the rules of the game in favor of the billionaires. at our expense. And so this has been happening for 50 years in this country.

558.721 - 579.96 James Talarico

Mega donors and their puppet politicians have been stealing from the American people, from the people of Texas, stealing the wealth that we created through their bribes, their bailouts, and their billionaire tax breaks. And so I look forward to not only running against Ken Paxton, but running against the broken system that he embodies. You got Senator Cornyn.

580.02 - 601.993 Ben Meiselas

Donald, you want me to name a road after you? What can I do? Please endorse me, Donald. Please endorse me, Donald. Donald Trump then does not endorse him. And now he's saying, well, Paxton's going to lose to Tallarico now. And now you're going to cost us the Senate, Donald. And now I'm going to potentially grow a backbone for 40... 48 hours.

602.374 - 613.98 Ben Meiselas

And now I'll vote against you on things in the Senate because I didn't get your endorsement. And then you see that kind of play out where now he and some Republicans finally are like, well, now that I didn't get the endorsement, now I'm going to speak out against you here and there.

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