Podcast Summary: WarRoom Battleground EP 951 – Breakdown Of The Texas Attorney General Debate
Date: February 18, 2026
Host: Stephen K. Bannon (WarRoom.org)
Central Guests: Chip Roy, Aaron Wright, Joan Huffman, Mays Middleton
Special Segment Moderator/Questioner: Kris Kobach
Episode Overview
This episode of Bannon’s WarRoom focuses on an in-depth analysis and real-time breakdown of the Texas Attorney General primary debate. Host Stephen K. Bannon frames Texas as a pivotal front in the larger battle for conservative legal and political dominance, especially in the context of Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legacy and the upcoming 2026 elections. The episode features audio excerpts from the debate, with Bannon and guests dissecting policy platforms, personal attacks, and ideological distinctions between the leading candidates: Chip Roy, Aaron Wright (Paxton’s chosen successor), Joan Huffman, and Mays Middleton.
The episode is urgent and combative in tone, emphasizing the stakes of the Attorney General’s race for Texas – and, in Bannon's narrative, for the nation as a whole.
Key Discussion Points and Candidate Insights
Opening Rhetoric & Security Themes
- National Security & Sharia Law
- Chip Roy opens by warning, “Islamic jihadis are plotting against you.” [00:08]
- Bannon presses the fear of Sharia “compounds” and asserts, “The United States Constitution and Sharia are fundamentally at odds with one another. We’re going to tell them, take your Sharia law and shove it.” [00:48, 00:56]
- Joan Huffman states, “Islam will never dominate the United States, and by the grace of God, it will not dominate Texas.” [01:00]
- Mays Middleton emphasizes, “Any attempt to impose Sharia law in Texas” will be “purged.” [00:33]
- Notable Quote (Bannon): “As Texas goes, so goes the nation. As the nation goes, so goes the world.” [01:07, 31:39]
Candidate Introductions & Credentials
Chip Roy (Tea Party, Ted Cruz’s Chief of Staff, Freedom Caucus)
- Cites a deep record of conservative fights over two decades.
- Highlights efforts on border security, opposition to amnesty, and challenging Obama-era initiatives.
- Quote: “I led by introducing legislation to ban Chinese Communists from owning our land, to designate cartels as terrorist organizations.” [04:15]
- Pledges: “As Attorney General, I’ll be one of one instead of one of 435, fighting for you, the people of Texas.” [05:45]
Aaron Wright (Ken Paxton’s Endorsed Deputy, DOJ Senior Official)
- Frames the AG job as a legal and law enforcement executive role.
- Critiques rivals for having only legislative, not courtroom, experience.
- Claims an “85% win rate” against Biden’s DOJ, says he’s “battle tested” and the only candidate “ready to lead the fight in court.” [05:46, 07:19]
- Quote: “Attorney General Practston has served our state effectively… But now the time has come to choose a new chief legal officer.” [05:46]
Joan Huffman (Longtime Prosecutor, Judge, State Senator)
- Focuses on career in criminal justice, as prosecutor, judge, and legislative chairwoman.
- Claims authorship of Texas’s voter ID and first Sharia Law bills.
- Quote: “I have the qualifications, the will and the work ethic to be your next Attorney General.” [07:19]
Mays Middleton (Senate Conservative, Abbott’s Endorsee)
- Emphasizes culture war victories: stopping men in women’s spaces, prayer in schools.
- Focus on stopping China from buying land and “Islamification.”
- Quote: “This is a show me, don’t tell me business, and I can show you the results.” [08:54]
Main Policy Debates & Exchanges
Closed Primaries in Texas
- Kris Kobach questions candidates on moving to a closed primary system.
- Roy: “Yes, and enforce the law.” [10:35]
- Huffman: Deference to legislative process and enforcement. [10:38]
- Middleton: Shares anecdote of “Democrats voting in the Republican primary.” Advocates closing primaries to ensure conservative outcomes. [10:53]
- Wright: Argues for closing on constitutional (First Amendment) grounds and touts litigation experience. [11:35]
Notable Moment:
- Wright to his rivals on First Amendment litigation: “I’m the only one… who has successfully done it.” [11:35]
Energy Policy & Green New Deal Opposition
- Middleton: Calls it the “green new scam,” boasts about banning wind farms and prioritizing oil and gas. Suggests using old turbine blades to build the border wall. [13:17, 13:54]
- Roy: References work on major litigation against the Obama Clean Power Plan; stresses the need for AGs to unite across states against federal overreach. [14:29]
- Wright: Details leading environmental lawsuits versus Biden administration, winning 85% as Paxton’s deputy. [15:34]
- Quote: “We’re going to drill, baby, drill.” (Wright) [15:34]
Crime, Prosecutorial Leniency & State Power
- Kris Kobach: Would candidates challenge lenient, “Soros-funded” prosecutors?
- Wright: Pledges within first month to seek removal of DAs in Dallas, Travis, and Harris counties. Labels them “leftist, insurrectionist communists.” [17:07, 40:42]
- Roy: Cites Crime Stoppers data (“222 Houstonians murdered by repeat felons”), proposes giving more removal authority to the governor and AG. [18:13, 41:50]
- Huffman: Touts 40 years in law enforcement, says expedited DA removals “cannot be done on day one” – calls for following statutory/constitutional process. [19:21, 42:59]
- Middleton: Endorses ability to remove DAs who violate their oaths; wants AG to have prosecution power but notes it will need legislative change. [20:25, 44:03]
- Notable Exchange:
- Wright rebuts Huffman, calling her caution “loser mentality” and insisting on creative, aggressive lawfare: “Don’t be fooled by the kind of Republican that says it can’t be done.” [21:37, 45:14]
Foreign Influence – China and Land Ownership
- Wright: “Sharia is the greatest civilizational threat… China… the greatest geopolitical threat.” Outlines ongoing Paxton-led AG campaigns against CCP land deals, tech, and infrastructure penetration. [35:41]
- Roy: Points to his 2019 legislation to ban CCP land purchases, standing alone at first, but now widely adopted. [36:55]
- Huffman: Co-authored recent anti-CCP land ownership bill; calls for deeper audit/assessment. [38:11]
- Middleton: Claims WeChat and mainland China actively interfered in Texas legislation; insists new law empowers AG to “force them to divest.” [39:18]
Transgender Medical Care for Minors
- Kobach: Candidates asked how they’ll enforce new ban.
- Roy: Endorsed by Chloe Cole (detransitioner/activist). Cites support for legislation and “funding string” approach. [46:19, 46:39]
- Middleton: Declares: “This is child abuse, Period… There is no right to hurt a child.” Criticizes Roy’s perceived softness, quotes Terry Schilling: “No greater ally to the transgender lobby than Chip Roy.” [47:28]
- Wright: Takes credit with Paxton for the legal framework that enabled the ban, re-assails Roy for amendments “conceding” to the trans lobby. [48:37]
- Roy Rebuttal: Argues for pragmatism—his U.S. House amendment was to cut funding, not legalize surgeries. Notes bill’s author (Marjorie Taylor Greene) left Congress, bill is dead. [49:38]
Closing Statements and Final Attacks
- Huffman: Draws on experience, pledges to fight for safety, law, and Texas values. [50:14]
- Roy: Shares personal story of surviving cancer, promises to “leave it all on the battlefield.” [51:18]
- Wright: Recalls swearing the oath as a Marine and at DOJ, says threats are now domestic: “The primary threats… are the domestic enemies of the Constitution.” [52:23]
- Middleton: Bold, direct attack on Roy: “We don't need… an Attorney general like Chip Roy that has spent 10 years fighting President Trump, defending Liz Cheney, calling us MAGA effers…” Argues his status as the most protested candidate shows his effectiveness. [53:33]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Stephen K. Bannon:
- “As Texas goes, so goes the nation. As the nation goes, so goes the world. Are you prepared to fight for this state? Are you prepared to fight for your country?” [01:07; 31:39]
- “We purge any attempt to impose Sharia law in Texas.” [00:33]
- Aaron Wright:
- “If you have the courage to get something done in the justice system, as Paxton has shown us for over a decade, you can get it done.” [21:37]
- “I will seek the removal of the Dallas County District Attorney… within the first month.” [17:07, 40:42]
- Chip Roy:
- “I promised my kids, I promised my wife that I would leave it all on the battlefield to try to save this great state and this great nation. We cannot lose Texas.” [51:18]
- Mays Middleton:
- “There is no right to hurt a child.” [47:28]
- “We can't let [the left] win. I am already defeating the left. That is why we're here tonight.” [53:33]
- Joan Huffman:
- “Are there bad DAs? Yes. But I will say the vast majority… are great people who have their constituents' goodwill at heart.” [19:21, 42:59]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Sharia Law, National Security Theme (Opening): 00:08–01:22
- Candidate Introductions: 04:15–08:54
- Closed Primaries: 10:27–11:35
- Energy/Green New Deal: 13:00–15:34
- Prosecutorial Leniency/Crime: 16:53–20:25, Repeats at 40:30–45:14
- Foreign Land Ownership/China Threat: 35:23–40:30
- Transgender Youth Medical Ban: 45:52–49:38
- Closing Statements: 50:14–54:55
Tone & Takeaways
Aggressive, high-stakes, and culture-war driven, the debate revolves heavily around themes of existential threat—whether from foreign adversaries (Islamists, CCP), “Soros-backed” prosecutors, or progressive activist groups. Differentiation between candidates centers on legal competence vs. legislative experience, record of lawsuits, and willingness to take radical action. Personal attacks are frequent, especially from Aaron Wright and Mays Middleton toward Chip Roy; Huffman positions herself as the steady, experienced hand.
For listeners who missed the episode:
This debate highlights the ideological battleground within the Texas GOP and the broader MAGA movement, setting vivid contrasts in style and substance between the four contenders for the Attorney General’s office—even as they all pledge unyielding combativeness on key partisan issues. Expect fireworks, not subtlety.