On the August 3, 2026 episode of The Rachel Maddow Show, MS NOW stuck to its usual script: attack Republicans and elevate Democrats.
Rachel Maddow spent the first segment highlighting alleged scandals and personal controversies involving conservative figures while offering zero equivalent criticism of her own side.
She then shifted into full campaign mode, warning that Republicans are “desperate” for voters not to hear James Talarico before bringing the Texas Democratic Senate candidate on as her prime guest.
You can always count on MS NOW to promote Democrats without asking a single challenging question, all while pretending it is journalism. Real news networks grill politicians; they do not serve as unpaid campaign staff. Because of this biased framing, you cannot believe a word Maddow or Talarico says. You have to fact-check every single claim yourself.
Talarico said:
“He (Paxton) was one of the attorneys general who led the fight against the Affordable Care Act, which has led to premiums skyrocketing for Texans all over the state.”
The Affordable Care Act passed, and its federal insurance mandates took effect in Texas. In the individual market, the law required insurers to accept all applicants regardless of health, cover preexisting conditions and a long list of essential health benefits, and sharply limited medical underwriting and the factors insurers could use to set premiums. Those requirements increased the cost of providing coverage and contributed to higher premiums. Paxton’s opposition did not create those costs — the law he opposed did.
Talarico next attacked Paxton for taking “lavish vacations” to Iceland and England over the Fourth of July, framing it as evidence of corruption while regular Texans struggle.
Ken Paxton is 63 years old and has lived through 63 Fourth of Julys. Taking a vacation over a national holiday is common, not corruption. Politicians from both parties do it. If you live in Texas, where an elected official spends the Independence Day holiday is entirely irrelevant compared with the actual policy threats on the table.
Voters should be far more concerned about Talarico’s platform: raising taxes, opening the border, supporting the medical transition of children, and using faith to justify abortion. There is no honest reading of Scripture in which Jesus Christ supports abortion or the medical transition of minors. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying.
Talarico also claimed there is a cost-of-living crisis driven by Paxton’s “corruption,” promising that Democrats will fix it. Yet his own record includes pushing aggressive climate policies and welcoming groups that want to restrict oil and gas production — the very energy that helps keep costs lower in Texas.
Texas consistently maintains a lower cost of living than the national average for clear reasons. The state has no income tax, more affordable housing, lower overall regulation, and abundant energy production. These are the results of policies that Republicans support: limited government, lower taxes, border security, and oil and gas drilling.
Democrats, by contrast, have long fought against these same policies. They push higher taxes, heavier regulation, open borders, and aggressive climate rules that restrict oil and gas production. Those approaches drive costs up, not down. That is why Talarico’s promise that Democrats will fix the cost of living is just another lie — their preferred policies are the reason costs are higher in the places they control.
To build his case, Talarico pointed out that Paxton’s own party impeached him, his staff reported him to the FBI, and his former defense attorney endorsed the Democratic ticket. He leaves out the conclusions:
- The Texas House impeached Paxton. The Texas Senate acquitted him.
- Some former staff made complaints to the FBI, but no federal charges or convictions resulted.
- The securities fraud case was dropped in 2024 with no admission of guilt.
- Former defense attorney Dan Cogdell did endorse Talarico. Lawyers switch sides and chase publicity constantly. One attorney’s career move proves nothing about Paxton’s record.
Cogdell is a high-priced defense attorney whose rates are not publicly listed, but lawyers at his level typically charge well over $1,000 an hour. I think you can judge the integrity of a lawyer by how much they charge.
Talarico repeatedly claimed that “Ken Paxton’s corruption is costing Texans,” yet he never explained how. Instead, he relied on lies, omitted critical context, and invented connections where none exist.
His own agenda deserves far more attention. Talarico is not running to lower household costs or protect Texas families. He supports expanding government control, weakening border enforcement, raising taxes, medically transitioning children, invoking Jesus to defend abortion, and pushing aggressive climate policies that would restrict oil and gas production in the energy capital of America — all while presenting himself as a moderate who simply wants Texans to “love their neighbor.”
Democrats constantly accuse Republicans of “using the Bible for politics.” Yet here is a Democratic candidate doing exactly that — twisting Scripture to justify abortion, open borders, higher taxes, and the rest of the progressive agenda. When Republicans quote the Bible, the media calls it dangerous. When Talarico does it, they call it inspiring.
Watchon Rumble