James Talarico Pressed by NewsNation's Leland Vittert Over Views of Capitalism, Trans Surgeries

Nicholas Spinnato
September 10th, 2026 1:36 AM

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On Wednesday, Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico was pressed in an interview with NewsNation’s On Balance host Leland Vittert on his views on capitalism and transgender surgeries for minors. Talarico grew noticeably irritated by some of the questions in the interview and blamed “the media and Ken Paxton” for the spread of resurfaced videos, like a video where he called capitalism "oppressive," and said the videos “try to paint me in the worst possible light.”

Talarico was also interviewed by Fox News’s Brooke Taylor at the same staged location, surrounded by groceries placed as props by Talarico's campaign.

After asking questions on Talarico's past bipartisanship in the Texas legislature, Vittert turned to the candidate's comment in a resurfaced 2020 video where Talarico called for capitalism to be “dismantled”:

 

 

You've been consistent about attacking billionaires and that. In 2020, you said capitalism is oppressive and linked to white supremacy and that both need to be dismantled. You still feel that way?”

Talarico insisted the comments were taken out of context, and claimed he was simply referring to “crony capitalism.” He added, “I think Adam Smith would be rolling over in his grave if he saw the economic system we currently have.”

Vittert jumped in, and mentioned the capitalist nature of the groceries that surrounded him: “Capitalism built all that, right?”

Later, after a Talarico word salad on “crony capitalism,” Vittert started to ask Talarico about his apparent flip-flops: “I think it's fair to talk about how you morphed/changed since 2020.”

 

 

Talarico interrupted with disagreement before Vittert mentioned his views on guns and said that Talarico had previously called for an assault weapons ban. In response, Talarico still seemed supportive of such a ban (Click “expand”):

VITTERT: If there was an assault weapons ban or large-capacity magazine ban and the Senate, would you vote for it? 

TALARICO: Depending on the details of the legislation, yes, and –

VITTERT: So, an assault weapons ban is still on the table?

TALARICO: Absolutely, and I think what most Texans want is a senator who's going to honor the Second Amendment. I believe that every Texan has a right. It's a bear arms protect themselves and their families. I don't pick and choose between the amendments in our Constitution, but no amendment is absolute, including the freedom of speech. And so we need is common sense gun safety measures. And that's exactly what I worked on in the legislature. That's exactly what I'm gonna work on as U.S. Senator.

Talarico continued his answer, then complained about media coverage of his past comments, while also insinuating the media was helping his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton:

I think what's happening is that in politics they – Ken Paxton will clip a short comment out of a much longer speech or much longer discussion to try to paint me in the worst possible light.

 

 

Later, Vittert asked about Talarico’s views on Transgender surgeries for minors. Talarico’s answer continued to blame the media for portrayal of his past policy positions (Click "expand"):

VITTERT: One of the things that was an enormous amount of conflict in your campaign has been this issue of transgender surgery for minors. You said the bill to ban it infuriated you. You called it the most dangerous bill that passed that session, Republicans were bullies for trying to ban transgender surgeries and that would kill kids. 

And then today or last week, “I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors.” Did you change your mind?

TALARICO: No. So, details are important. I know details the are not the media's specialty.

But that bill did a lot more than banning surgeries for minors. If you actually went back and read the bill, you would see that –

VITTERT: I’m not talking about the bill, I’m talking about what you said about Republicans.

TALARICO: Right. And I was actually for the part of bill that banned surgeries. If you go back and look – again, all this is public record for journalists who actually want to dig into it. I voted for an amendment that banned surgeries. That would have changed the bill to make it more narrow in scope. What the bill did was a lot more than that went after doctors for providing basic care to people who need it. And so that's what I was against. And so my views haven't changed. 

As he showed more irritation with the questioning, Talarico closed and, again, insinuated that Paxton and the media were working against him: “What's changed is the media and Ken Paxton are trying to make something out of nothing and try to distort the truth in order to get clicks and win elections.”

Talarico's insistence that the media and Paxton were working together could not be further from the truth, as national cable networks like MS NOW have promoted Talarico and his chances at victory, minimizing controversial clips of him in the process.

It should be noted that, as he insisted he was not morphing his policy views, a shortened headline from the Texas Tribune on Wednesday read: "James Talarico reverses stance on trans student-athletes."

The transcript from Talarico's interview on NewsNation is below:

NewsNation’s On Balance with Leland Vittert

September 9, 2026

11:08:52 PM Eastern

(...)

LELAND VITTERT: You've been consistent about attacking billionaires and that. In 2020, you said capitalism is oppressive and linked to white supremacy and that both need to be dismantled. You still feel that way?

JAMES TALARICO (D-TX): So, if you go back and look at what is actually talking about, I was talking about crony capitalism because what we have now is actually not capitalism. I think Adam Smith would be rolling over in his grave if he saw the economic system we currently have –

VITTERT: [Pointing at groceries] Capitalism built all that, right?

TALARICO: Well, down the street, you have billionaire mega donors who are buying corrupt politicians and breaking the rules in their favor against the rest of us. And it's why you see public policy that only benefits the wealthy and the well-connected, and hurts working people. 

Capitalism was an innovation. It was a revolution. It meant that if you work hard, you should get rewarded and compensated for that labor. Right now we have an economy that doesn't reward work, it rewards wealth. In fact, work is taxed more than wealth is taxed in this country. 

So, what I'm trying to get back to his old school capitalism and not this current crony capitalist system that we have. And we absolutely have to get rid of the system. I did an event with Mark Cuban here in Dallas just a few weeks ago, and we talked about the need for competition, but fair competition. We got to get rid in the monopolies. We got rid of the consolidation that is fundamentally uncapitalistic –

VITTERT: You understand – I think its fair to talk about how you morphed/changed since 2020. There’s a lot of things you’ve said –

TALARICO: Well, that's not a morphing. That’s not a changing. That’s consistent –

VITTERT: We’ll take guns. In 2020, on video, you said there should be an assault weapons ban, large magazine ban, and that god requires us to do more than our thoughts and prayers. 

TALARICO: Yes.

VITTERT: If there was an assault weapons ban or large-capacity magazine ban and the senate, would you vote for it? 

TALARICO: Depending on the details of the legislation, yes, and –

VITTERT: So, an assault weapons ban is still on the table?

TALARICO: Absolutely, and I think what most Texans want is a senator who's going to honor the Second Amendment. I believe that every Texan has a right. It's a bear arms protect themselves and their families. I don't pick and choose between the amendments in our Constitution, but no amendment is absolute, including the freedom of speech. And so we need is common sense gun safety measures. And that's exactly I worked on a legislature. That's exactly what I'm gonna work on as U.S. Senator.

I think what's happening is that in politics they – Ken Paxton will clip a short comment out of a much longer speech or much longer discussion to try to paint me in the worst possible light. To try to –

VITTERT: Well, that’s politics, right?

TALARICO: Well, actually, Idon't think that should be politics. I think what American people are hungry for is a serious conversation where we're actually discussing our honest views, how they're different, and what we're going for people. 

But I know the media and social media depends on conflict to make a profit to get clicks and so we're all kind of trapped in current system that brings out the worst in people to the best of us.

VITTERT: One of the things that was an enormous amount of conflict in your campaign has been this issue of transgender surgery for minors. You said the bill to ban it infuriated you. You called it the most dangerous bill that passed that session, Republicans were bullies for trying to ban transgender surgeries and that would kill kids. 

And then today or last week, “I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors.” Did you change your mind?

TALARICO: No. So, details are important. I know details the are not the media's specialty.

But that bill did a lot more than banning surgeries for minors. If you actually went back and read the bill, you would see that –

VITTERT: I’m not talking about the bill, I’m talking about what you said about Republicans.

TALARICO: Right. And I was actually for the part of bill that banned surgeries. If you go back and look – again, all this is public record for journalists who actually want to dig into it. I voted for an amendment that banned surgeries. That would have changed the bill to make it more narrow in scope. What the bill did was a lot more than that went after doctors for providing basic care to people who need it. And so that's what I was against. And so my views haven't changed. 

What's changed is the media snd Ken Paxton are trying to make something out of nothing and try to distort the truth in order to get clicks win elections. 

VITTERT: So the one thing that's going to happen if you win is Wednesday morning, you're gonna wake up. You're going to be a 2028 contender. You ready for that?

TALARICO: No, because I'm not going run for president.

VITTERT: It’s that simple?

TALARICO: Correct? Yeah, I will fulfill my six-year term. If I’m blessed to get reelected, I will do it.

(...)

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