On Thursday's CNN This Morning, host Audie Cornish cut off a conservative panelist before she could finish her thoughts on the Texas Senate race.
Abigail Jackson, a former special assistant to President Trump, had called James Talarico a bad candidate, and was about to continue when Cornish broke in with "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Audie went on to argue "But he's polling WAY better, so, and much closer, and fundraising much more!"
Cornish played a current Talarico ad:
"Ken Paxton is lying about my record, even making fake AI videos of me. No, I'm not a member of the Chinese Communist Party. No, I don't support sex change surgeries for kids. I don't have to use AI because the truth about Ken Paxton is bad enough."
You know the adage: if you're explaining, you're losing. James, dude! Deciding to deny that you're a member of the Chinese Communist Party is even worse than that!
Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell learned that lesson the hard way in 2010, when her "I'm not a witch" ad defined her. Talarico is now on television announcing that he is not a card-carrying commie, and that he does not support sex-change surgeries for kids. What's next, James: gonna go the full O'Donnell?
"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!" CNN's Cornish Cuts Off Conservative on the Texas Senate Race pic.twitter.com/og2f64HhCx
— Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) October 8, 2026
CNN reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere tried to explain the Talarico campaign's decision to air the ad by noting that Democrats have regretted not responding to certain attacks in past cycles. Though he didn't expressly identify it, Dovere was surely alluding to Trump's devastating transgender, they/them ad against Kamala in 2024.
But here's another adage: generals are always fighting the last war.
The transgender ad worked because it was in Kamala's own voice, expressing an opinion many voters deeply disliked. Suggesting Talarico is a member of the Chinese Communist Party does not have the same impact. Most Texans have probably not even heard it. Talarico's denial is what puts the notion in front of them. That actually serves Paxton.
Speaking of which, Cornish thought that recently leaked audio of Paxton talking about Texans feeling "the pinch" due to high diesel prices and its impact on grocery prices was harmful to him. She even suggested to Democrat Meghan Hays that it would make good fodder for a Talarico ad.
Really? What are Democrats going to do with it? Cut an ad saying: "Ken Paxton really does care about you being pinched by high prices?" The networks are already running any leaked audio of Paxton's complaints that liberal sites can put out there.
Note: Although Talarico now says he opposes sex change surgeries for minors, in 2023, as a Texas House member, Talarico voted no on SB 14. That bill prohibited gender-reassignment surgery, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones for minors.
Here's the transcript.
CNN This Morning
10/8/26
6:11 am EDT
PRESIDENT TRUMP: And I think you will. I think it's, there's no way you vote for the other guy.
AUDIE CORNISH: So today in the Group Chat, we have Isaac Dovere, CNN senior reporter, Abigail Jackson, former Trump White House deputy press secretary, and Megan Hayes, former Biden White House director of message planning.
So, another day, another visit to Texas. The place I did not think Trump would have to spend quite so much time. First of all, is it helping?
ABIGAIL JACKSON: You know, I think the president is committed to keeping Texas red. We hear this song and dance from the Republican, from the Democrats every time Texas is up. They say, this is the time we're gonna turn Texas blue, and it never happens. James Talarico is a bad candidate. I think he's less charismatic, less likable than Beto O'Rourke, and that's saying something.
CORNISH: Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa! But he's polling WAY better, so, and much closer, and fundraising much more.
JACKSON: Right, and the Democrats are dumping tons of money into the state for a reason, but the president--
CORNISH: Well, let me play you what Ken Paxton has been saying. Because, man, I don't know who likes him in these meetings, leaking audio yet again. This is him questioning whether Trump's support, or even just making the race more federal, as Trump is doing, makes a difference.
KEN PAXTON: It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel. When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel, I mean, it's-- put money, they have a lot of trucks that are diesel. People are feeling the pinch. So, that's a-- that's probably the biggest problem and that, of course, drives up food prices and everything else.
CORNISH: I feel like a Democrat could be saying that in an ad. Oh, [looking at Meghan Hays] you're smiling. Are you, did you take notes for an ad?
MEGHAN HAYS: That's right. I mean, I think that Democrats are spending money in Texas, yes, but they're not spending the three hundred million dollars that Republicans are having to put in a state that it shouldn't even be in play.
. . .
CORNISH: So, I want to play for you how Talarico is responding in his political ads, and I think it's telling that his ads are really answering the things that are coming up in Paxton commercials more than they are being affirmative about a Democratic plan.
JAMES TALARICO: Ken Paxton is lying about my record, even making fake AI videos of me. No, I'm not a member of the Chinese Communist Party. No, I don't support sex change surgeries for kids. I don't have to use AI because the truth about Ken Paxton is bad enough.
CORNISH: So he's not just being like, affordability!, right? He's having to counter the sheer volume of ads, and what's being said on the campaign trail, even by Trump himself, like at last night's rally.
. . .
EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: You see, one of the things over the past couple of cycles, is that Democrats would often say like, oh, well, we should have responded more, we should not let these attacks sit in. Talarico is doing that, and he's doing it in a way that he hopes will actually both respond and have like the kind of more appealing edge to him. He's not doing it in an aggressive, like, and we'll see if it works.
