Trump's Attack on James Talarico Blows Up In His Face

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: Trump's Attack on James Talarico Blows Up In His Face
Date: February 18, 2026
Podcast: IHIP News
Hosts: Jennifer Welch & Angie “Pumps” Sullivan

This episode dives into the recent uproar over Donald Trump’s interference with CBS programming, particularly the network’s refusal to air Stephen Colbert’s interview with Texas progressive James Talarico. Jennifer and Angie dissect how these attacks on free speech have boomeranged, drawing wider attention to both Talarico’s message and broader issues of media control, religious hypocrisy, and MAGA-driven conspiracy theories—all covered with sharp humor and personal insights.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump, Media Control, and Free Speech

• The hosts open with outrage at recent events: Donald Trump’s associates and media buyers suppressing critical voices, like Colbert and Talarico, on CBS ([00:00]).
• Stephen Colbert allegedly went public on YouTube after CBS allegedly wouldn’t air his Talarico interview, citing it as a “horrible attack on free speech” ([00:40]).

Notable Quote:

"Corporate media executives are selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians. And a threat to any of our First Amendment rights is a threat to all of our First Amendment rights."
— Guest 1 ([01:21])

2. Talarico and the Threat to the Right

• Discussion pivots to why James Talarico, a progressive Democrat from deep-red Texas, unsettles the political right:
  • He’s an empathetic Christian using his faith authentically to support progressive policy.
  • The right-wing employs religious messaging for control, but Talarico’s compassion exposes their hypocrisy and resonates, especially with religious voters ([01:44]).

Notable Quote:

“If you have this candidate like James Talarico that reminds people of what Christianity is supposed to be... That is a real weapon that they know that could really penetrate into some voters."
— Guest 2 ([02:07])

• Comparison is drawn between Talarico and Zoran Mamdani, noting how both undermine right-wing narratives by living their faith sincerely without broadcasting it for control.

3. Media Oligarchs and Ideological Takeover

• Critique of Larry Ellison’s acquisition of CBS—not for profit, but for ideological manipulation. Installation of Bari Weiss as a key player is viewed as an attempt to suppress dissenting voices and bolster an “Israel First” bias ([03:17]).

Notable Quote:

“Larry Ellison, he’s so rich... It is for control. It is for propaganda.”
— Guest 2 ([03:38])

4. Democratic Leadership vs. Comedians and Podcasters

• Frustration that resistance to this regime falls mainly to comedians, podcasters, and not Democratic leaders ([04:50]).
• Praise for Colbert and Kimmel for being braver in public than many sitting politicians.

Notable Quote:

“He and Jimmy Kimmel have more balls than the leadership we have in the House, in the Senate, because they are putting everything on the line to speak truth to power.”
— Host ([05:07])

5. Talarico’s Gospel—What Would Jesus Actually Do?

• Talarico’s most viral message: the Bible does not mention abortion or gay marriage but emphasizes compassion, feeding the poor, and welcoming strangers ([05:43]).

Notable Quote (from Talarico):

“Don’t tell me what you believe. Show me how you treat other people and I’ll tell you what you believe.”
— James Talarico, as played by Host ([06:29])

• Host reflects on the cognitive dissonance of religious conservatives who profess these values but act oppositely ([06:41]).

6. Impact on Texas and the State of the Race

• Hosts discuss how Trump’s attack amplified Talarico’s message: Instead of burying it, it’s gone viral—over ten million views across platforms ([10:38]).
• Possible realignment in Texas politics: If Talarico wins his primary (against Jasmine Crockett), a general-election faceoff with a scandal-plagued Republican would be explosive ([08:26]).
• Repeated theme: Talarico’s whiteness and Texas roots make him uniquely dangerous to MAGA narratives, compared to progressives of color ([05:16], [08:06]).

7. Republican Hypocrisy and “Republican Jesus”

• Satirical contrast between the “actual Jesus” advocating for the poor and “Republican Jesus,” supposedly backing wealth and exclusion ([08:52]).
• Discussion of how right-wing Christianity in places like Oklahoma manifests cruelty as a feature, not a bug ([09:28]).

Notable Quote:

“Jesus Christ was not a capitalist. The hoodwink of the Republican party... is one for the ages."
— Guest 2 ([10:11])

8. MAGA Conspiracy Theories—From Litter Boxes to Dog Bans

• Latest fear-mongering: The “Democrats want to ban your pets” narrative, tied to Islamophobia and urban myths about Muslims and dogs ([12:01]).
• The hosts ridicule the disconnect between reality (NYC dog culture) and MAGA fantasy (“Debbie in Choctaw, Oklahoma” convinced dogs are being banned in New York) ([12:50]).

Notable Quote:

“This is the complete scaring of the rubes that they do. Nobody that lives in New York would even take this seriously for a second.”
— Guest 2 ([13:13])

• Prediction that this conspiracy would be amplified by Trump and right-wing media personalities ([13:27]).

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Talarico’s core message: “Don’t tell me what you believe. Show me how you treat other people and I’ll tell you what you believe.” ([06:29])
• On Democratic inaction: “Comedians, podcasters... Why aren’t other corporations standing up?” ([04:37])
• Satire of MAGA myths: “We are one to two news cycles away from Donald Trump truth socialing that the Democrats are going to ban you from having a dog...” ([13:27])

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Important Timestamps

• [00:40] — Colbert’s censored Talarico interview and free speech
• [01:21] — Guest 1 on First Amendment threats
• [03:38] — Corporate media as propaganda tool (Larry Ellison, Bari Weiss)
• [05:43] — Talarico’s Biblical appeal and viral quote
• [10:38] — Colbert/Talarico clip goes viral, ten million views
• [12:01] — The rise of the “dog ban” conspiracy theory and debunking
• [13:27] — Anticipation of Trump amplifying the pet-ban myth

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Summary

In this lively, pointed episode, Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan break down how Trump's attempts at media manipulation backfired, making James Talarico’s progressive Christian message unavoidable. The hosts explore the fear this poses to MAGA circles, the hypocrisy of religious conservatism, and the absurdity of the right’s latest conspiracy—claiming Democrats want to ban dogs. Satirical, passionate, and unfiltered, Welch and Sullivan argue this viral moment represents not a silencing, but a spotlight on the values and messaging the right most fears.

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Transcript

[Host]

Foreign. Will do whatever it takes to keep opposition from them. Donald Trump is corrupt. He is surrounded by people that are corrupt. He has taken over media giants. And all we've heard about is how Stephen Colbert went out on CBS on his show that because of CBS and Trump is canceled at the end of May of this year. And he went out and said CBS did not want to air an interview I did with James Talarico and then he put it on YouTube. So let's hear what Talarico has to say about this horrible attack on free speech.

[Guest 1]

This is the party that ran against cancel culture and now they're trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read. And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top. They, they went after the View because I went on there. They went after Jimmy Kimmel for telling a joke they didn't like. They went after you for telling the truth about Paramount's bribe to Donald Trump. Corporate, corporate, corporate media executives are selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians. And a threat to any of our First Amendment rights is a threat to all of our First Amendment rights.

[Host]

So I'm just, I can see why they didn't want it on cbs because we know Bari Weiss, she would just have a heart attack over that.

[Guest 2]

Yeah, a couple of things here. Number one, there's something about Talarico that bothers them in the same way they were bothered by Zoran. And when you have a bunch of oligarchs and powerful men, they're using the old playbook to use religion to control people. They are sinking their claws into your fight or flight reflexes. And the right wing Christian sect of the American electorate has always been the most, the easiest to co opt. So if you have this candidate like James Talarico that reminds people of what Christianity is supposed to be, what Jesus Christ advocated for the, that he was a radical empath and very much against, spoke out exclusively against the accumulation of wealth. Talarika reminds people of that. So that is a real weapon that they know that could really penetrate into some voters. The same way that Zoran Mamdani was a real problem for a lot of Israel first style politicians because their whole propaganda is oh, Muslims are all terrorists, want to kill everybody. Muslims are eating dogs or they are killing your dogs or they're going to ban your dogs, all this crazy shit, right? And then you have Zoran Mamdani who's a radical empath and his faith is private to him, but he draws a lot of Serenity and really good natured policy from it. The same same way Talarico is number two. The problem with somebody like Larry Ellison that bought CBS is at first you think, God, it's really bad that the media is for profit. That's really bad because then they're just going to like Fox News. It's just going to be whatever makes money and that's what they're going to do. And I didn't think it'd get worse than that. Larry Ellison, he's so rich. These are side projects. It's not for profit for him. It is for control. It is for propaganda. He is an Israel First American. He knows Donald Trump's a dipshit and he knows that he can use him. He installed Barry Weiss, who is completely unqualified and a total dipshit, who is an Israel First American because they want to propagandize the public and they cannot have the Zoran Mamdanis and the James Talarico. And you think, what would a Christian, a Muslim, have in common? Well, what they have in common is they use their faith for good. They, they don't push it onto other people. But the United States is a super religious country. I don't like all the religiosity and politics. For me, it's very offputting. But this is a very religious country. These reminders, these good politicians that remind people their faith calls on them to be compassionate and to help the needy and help the sick. That's something that even in the most hateful of hate churches these Christians have heard before. And so I just think it's a really interesting thing. And also I am so proud slash devastated that the people that stand up are against this regime. Comedians, podcasters, where is the Democratic leadership? Why aren't they standing up like Stephen Colbert just did? Why aren't other corporations standing up? So those are my thoughts on that.

[Host]

No, I agree with you completely. I was thinking that same thing about Stephen Colbert. He and Jimmy Kimmel have more balls than the leadership we have in the House, in the Senate, because they are putting everything on the line to speak truth to power. And we're just not seeing that. That and one thing that Talarico does, and I do think he's even a bigger threat than Zoron because he's white. I mean, he's a white male from Texas. And the way he eloquently pointed out the hypocrisy of MAGA in the administration, I'm going to play it. And it was really well said 50.

[Guest 1]

Years, the religious right, a political movement that is the perfect description for it. They convinced a lot of our fellow Christians that the most important issues were abortion and gay marriage, two issues that aren't mentioned in the Bible. Two issues that Jesus never talked about. Jesus in Matthew 25 tells us exactly how you and I and every one of our fellow believers, how we're going to be judged and how we're going to be saved by feeding the hungry, by healing the sick, by welcoming the stranger. Nothing about going to church, nothing about voting Republican. It was all about how you treat other people. Don't, Don't. I've said before, don't tell me what you believe. Show me how you treat other people and I'll tell you what you believe.

[Host]

And I just thought that was really plain spoken and well said. And just from a personal standpoint, I grew up, as everybody knows, evangelical churches. Every person in there that I would stand shoulder to shoulder with would say they believe everything that he just said about feeding the poor, doing the sick. And then they go out and they do the exact opposite of that. And justified in their head somehow, with dissonance, with willful denial. I know that because I did it, and I love people that still do it. But I think a message like that is a mirror to these people. They know what the right thing to do is. They know you shouldn't put people in concentration camps, you shouldn't say separate families, but nobody's willing to take a look in the mirror. And I think that's what he is. He's a look in the mirror.

[Guest 2]

Yeah, I think that's precisely that. Messaging right there is precisely why he wasn't allowed to go on. That, combined with one of his really good messages, is they have you looking at the wrong 1%. And he's referring to trans people. And he said the real 1% they don't want you to look at are the billionaires. And he speaks out against billionaires. And if Texas, the Texas race were to go blue, the Senate race, which we've had a lot of good candidates try, and he's got a big primary right now with Jasmine Crockett on the Democratic side, and they're going to have to duke that out and, you know, made the best politician win. But this thing right here, Trump messing with him like this, now everybody's going to want to watch it. And I guarantee you there's a lot of people that are sending that clip, the one that you just did, to their religious parents that are maga and reminding them you make Me, you know, this is what I remember about church. What you all are has made me not want to be religious. And so there's real conversations that are going to be played out. If a super religious progressive like that, if he wins the primary and if he is in a general and you put him up against Paxton, I think would probably win that primary. And I think he's the guy that his wife filed for divorce for biblical reasons because I think he was slapping, tickling, you know, he's fucking around. She found out, she throws the Bible into the divorce thing. So that would be a super juicy race against like the Bible thumper. I'm a right wing MAGA Christian. The Republican Jesus versus the Republicans. The actual Jesus. That would be interesting because I have always found as a non religious person, the most religious people I know are always the cruelest. And this is just in Oklahoma, you guys, because religious people in Oklahoma are really mean. I know on the coast people can be religious and not cruel, but it is a feature, not a bug of evangelical Christianity. And I think that this type of messaging, you know, like whenever I hear Bernie Sanders speak as a non religious person, when I hear this atheist Jewish man speak, I always think, well that sounds more like because I've studied religion, I was like, well this sounds more like that character Jesus in the Bible is what Bernie Sanders is saying. Because it's not just that Jesus speaks out against the accumul accumulation of wealth once, it's multiple times. He absolutely was not a capitalist. Jesus Christ was not a capitalist. And so the hoodwink of the Republican party because these religious people are so easily co opted is one for the ages that they have Jesus as this huge white, you know, blue eyed capitalist, let's accumulate wealth. It's really wild if you really actually study the words of Jesus.

[Host]

Well, one thing I just want to point out to your point about all of the interference done by the Trump administration, I think I read that 2.3 million people generally watch Colbert and as of noon today it was over 10 million million on all the platforms. I mean people are going to see this. And I personally have clipped this for my very religious family that I will see later this week. And so I am anxious to be like, not, I'm not going to be antagonistic about it, but just defend this, just defend it. Why? Why do you think that this is okay? Because you've got little kids that are held in concentration camps. You have people being taken off the streets that have been here their entire lives. How can you defend it? And I know that they have defended this administration, so it will be interesting. And I just, I want to close with just the contrast. You have James Talarico speaking about what Jesus did. And then you have Randy Fines who is disgusting, despicable. I'm not going to play the clip because his voice is so gross, but he goes on Newsmax and he doubles down and then he attacks AOC and goes back to eating the dogs. And I just was like, what it.

[Guest 2]

Goes back to is not eating the dogs. This is a new conspiracy theory that is getting started and it is that they are going to ban. That's what it is. Pets. And where this comes from. This is the new MAGA conspiracy theory. You know, the litter boxes and the furries. Now Trump has, you know, furries at, at Mar a Lago and then they moved on to the eating the dogs and cats. Now there was somebody who does not work for Zoron that said something about because I think Muslims cannot have dogs. I think a lot of Muslims do have dogs, but I think that that's something that's in the Quran. So now they're claiming that Zoron is going to ban dogs in New York and AOC is colluding on this and they're, they're going to. You can't have a pet dog. I live in New York, you guys. These dogs can go in every single store. You can take your dog in a restaurant. The best dressed dogs I've ever seen. A lot of them wear shoes, they have raincoats. My dogs have fantastic New York outfits. I can't get them to wear the shoes. This is the, this is the complete scaring of the rubes that they do. Nobody that lives in New York would even take this seriously for a second. But Debbie in Choctaw, Oklahoma is going to be on Facebook Keyboard Courage going are going to ban dogs in New York City. And I heard that this is going on in New York City. And Debbie's never been to New York City.

[Host]

This is what they do.

[Guest 2]

This is the kind of shit they pull. They make up some stupid lie. And instead of him apologizing, instead of him Moses, Mike Grinder Johnson kicking his ass out of the Senate and making an example that racism will get you canceled in the United States Senate, period. I mean, House. The United States House. But they don't. And then now they're all going to be leaning in. I guarantee. We are one to two news cycles away from Donald Trump truth socialing that the Democrats are going to ban you from having a dog that is coming because we're on the very front end of this conspiracy theory and that's coming. And guess what's going to happen? Remember Obama? Obama's going to take your guns. He didn't take your guns. Now all the lesbians are getting guns. And the MAGA is super mad about this. I read a whole article about it. The magus. I can't believe the lesbians are getting guns. It's like, what the. Did you. You think? I mean, y' all want everybody to have guns? So this is gonna, this is their new. This is their new shtick. And they're all gonna roll up. Megan Kelly, Donald Trump, J.D. vance. It's gonna be an all star lineup of them saying the Democrats are going to take your pets. You can't have a pet dog anymore. It's just such bullshit. It's just the people that believe this are so stupid. Truly, they're dumb.

[Host]

Okay, you heard it here first. I mean, Jennifer is not wrong about this shit. So we're, we're gonna wait, we're gonna see how many it's dogs are banned in New York City. All right, Please like this video. Subscribe to our channel and we'll be back with more news.