What A Day Podcast Summary

Episode: "Texas Republicans Return To Islamophobia"

Date: February 26, 2026
Host: Jane Coaston
Guest: Forrest Wilder (Senior Writer, Texas Monthly)

Overview

This episode centers on the resurgence and escalation of Islamophobia and xenophobic messaging in Texas GOP politics, especially seen in the ongoing Senate primary race. Host Jane Coaston digs into how and why Republicans in Texas are ramping up anti-Muslim rhetoric, the broader implications for Texas politics and communities, and whether this trend might spill over into national GOP strategy. The show features an interview with journalist Forrest Wilder to add context and analysis.

Key Discussion Points

1. Texas GOP Primary: Escalating Fear and Islamophobia

• The Texas Republican Senate primary, featuring Senator John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt, is setting spending records and devolving into increasingly hostile territory, particularly with Islamophobic attacks.
• Cornyn and Paxton have been running attack ads accusing each other of being "soft on Islam" ([01:38]).

Notable Segment: Republican-on-Republican Attacks

Jane Coaston (Reacting to attack ads):
"Again, that is Republican on Republican violence. Woof."
([01:38])

• Trump, despite his usual influence, has refused to endorse a candidate, claiming to like all three "equally" ([01:38]).

2. Islamophobia as Political Strategy

• Texas GOP candidates are broadcasting deeply Islamophobic campaign ads, e.g., claims of "Muslim invasion," terrorism, and Sharia law—claims widely debunked ([02:36]).
• These ads, while factually baseless, resonate with primary voters and represent a calculated campaign strategy.

Republican Candidate Aaron Reitz (ad excerpt):
"Islam is not compatible with Western civilization... Not on my watch."
([02:36])

The Role of Scare Tactics

• Forrest Wilder: "Fear sells, right? The culture wars sell. The border is not as salient of an issue... So there's really a need for GOP campaigning in Texas at least to grab onto something to scare the crap out of people." ([03:41])
• Traditional "culture war" topics, such as immigration and anti-trans rhetoric, have begun to lose steam, prompting a pivot to attacking Muslims and broader South Asian communities.

3. Intersection with Immigration and Broader Xenophobia

• The anti-Muslim rhetoric is bleeding into anti-South Asian sentiment, with candidates calling for mass deportations—including U.S. citizens and even Native Americans ([04:51]).
• Candidates have targeted South Asian residents as "unassimilable," and made derogatory statements about communities in Dallas suburbs.

Forrest Wilder:
"We have a candidate... calling for 100 million people to be deported. That would, of course, include tens of millions of US citizens. He even wants to deport Native Americans. Not kidding."
([05:24])

Extremity and Escalation

• Even in the context of Texas’ usual right-wing base, the current level of xenophobia is seen as "more extreme" than previous cycles ([05:25]).

4. Irony of Fear Mongering under GOP Rule

• Despite Republicans controlling Texas for decades, candidates frame "Islamic infiltration" as a threat resulting from government inaction—essentially criticizing their own party’s alleged weakness, to fuel ever-more-extreme positions.
• Legal steps include efforts to designate CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) as a terrorist organization and attempts to strip it of nonprofit status ([06:40]).

Forrest Wilder:
"That's how you end up... with Greg Abbott designating CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization... They're trying to strip CAIR of their nonprofit status and basically make it impossible for them to organize or to have a political voice in Texas."
([07:29])

5. Community Impact and Political Dynamics

• The Muslim community in Texas is diverse—politically mixed, with many socially conservative members. Yet, GOP extremism has left even Republican Muslim communities "shocked," with real-world consequences (e.g., hate crimes) ([07:36]).
• Wilder notes cities like Houston and Dallas are culturally vibrant and diverse, but rural conservative voters wield disproportionate influence ([07:36]).

Forrest Wilder:
"People are, you know, they're shocked. And in part it's because this has manifested not just at a rhetorical level. There are people that are being attacked..."
([07:36])

6. Absurd Extremes in the Senate Race

• The race between Cornyn and Paxton hit new lows: Cornyn bragged about an endorsement from anti-Islam activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali (herself a Somali immigrant and critic of Islam); Paxton attacked Cornyn for being supported by an immigrant, regardless of ideology ([09:39]).

Jane Coaston:
"It's not actually about someone who is Muslim. It's about a Somali immigrant who's actually extremely anti Islam. What do you think that says about... not just Islamophobia, but racism in this race?"
([09:39])

Forrest Wilder:
"It's basically you have like, Islamophobia in a cage with, like, xenophobia and racism. Like, who's gonna win?"
([10:29])

7. Will Islamophobia Go National in the GOP?

• Texas often sets trends within the national Republican Party—past examples include border and immigration policies ([12:08]).
• Wilder suggests that while Texas' brand can influence national politics, extreme rhetoric risks alienating broader or more moderate audiences, especially in swing states.

Forrest Wilder:
"Texas is the king of the red states. We are the laboratory... for bad ideas. I think that's still often the case when it comes to Republican politics."
([12:08])

Memorable Quotes (Speaker & Timestamp):

• Jane Coaston: "Again, that is Republican on Republican violence. Woof." ([01:38])
• Aaron Reitz Ad: "Islam is not compatible with Western civilization." ([02:36])
• Forrest Wilder: "Fear sells, right? The culture wars sell..." ([03:41])
• Forrest Wilder: "We have a candidate... calling for 100 million people to be deported..." ([05:24])
• Forrest Wilder: "It's basically you have like, Islamophobia in a cage with, like, xenophobia and racism. Like, who's gonna win?" ([10:29])
• Forrest Wilder: "Texas is the king of the red states. We are the laboratory... for bad ideas." ([12:08])
• Jane Coaston: "It's not actually about someone who is Muslim. It's about a Somali immigrant who's actually extremely anti Islam." ([09:39])

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 01:15 | Recap of Cornyn vs. Paxton ad war | | 02:36 | Islamophobic campaign ad example (Aaron Reitz) | | 03:18 | Interview with Forrest Wilder begins | | 03:41 | Analysis of why Islamophobia resurged in Texas | | 04:51 | Expansion of rhetoric to South Asians/H1B immigrant | | 05:24 | Extreme calls for deportation, even of citizens | | 06:40 | Discussion on Republican control and fear-mongering | | 07:36 | Community impacts and hate crime example | | 09:39 | The Cornyn/Paxson/Ayaan Hirsi Ali controversy | | 10:29 | Absurd intersection of racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia | | 12:08 | Potential for Islamophobia to go national |

Conclusion

This episode of What A Day delivers a sharply focused look at how and why Islamophobia has re-emerged as a core strategy in Texas conservative politics, tracing its intersection with broader anti-immigrant sentiment and highlighting the absurd and dangerous levels to which GOP candidates are taking their rhetoric. Under Jane Coaston's incisive questioning, Forrest Wilder provides critical context and a warning that Texas often pilots ideas that later surface on the national stage, though extremism may carry its own risks.

For further detail, Forrest Wilder’s article is linked in the episode notes.