The MeidasTouch Podcast - GOP Leaders Crumble Under Killer Cross Exam at Hearing

Episode Date: June 2, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the brutal cross-exam by Texas State Representative James Talarico who made the MAGA State Representatives look like total fools on live tv. Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar per month trial at https://shopify.com/meidas Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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House member or Senate member and just destroys their idiocracy live in front of the world, on camera, and just exposes it. Exposes the scam, the stunt, the grift. No one does it better than Texas State Representative James Tallarico and whether he's exposing the Republican MAGA scam about putting the 10 commandments throughout schools or exposing the voucher system, the scam. Watch James Tallarico cook. So here's Democratic Congress member James Tallarico going to work this past week in the Texas house. Watch how it's done when he goes after their book, the MAGA book burning plan. Let's play this clip. If we pass your bill, could Romeo and Juliet be banned because it mentions pre-marital sex, which someone might find, quote, against their local community values? There may be some. There may be some that, whether they're on the individual value system or their religious beliefs, that could believe that.

If your answer to could Romeo and Juliet be banned, if your answer is anything other than of course not, then that's a serious problem. I'm not advised on Roma and Juliet. Do you think prostitution is profane and inconsistent with community values? I think that prostitution could be related in the context of our, of whatever the work is before us in terms of a work of literature or content. Under the language of your bill, profane and inconsistent with community values, Lonesome Dove, my favorite book, a Texas classic, could be banned because it includes references to prostitution in the Old West.

Is that correct? The community values or community standards of an individual community would dictate that. So it is possible. And again, it's possible, but- Do you think the F word is grossly offensive language? I do. Under the language of your bill, the catcher in the rye, an American classic, could be

banned because it includes more than 300 curse words, including the F word? That could happen, yes. That classic work of literature could be removed from libraries if we pass this bill. Well I think we're closing the door to some of the filth that we have heard read before our committee over the last two sessions. We're not removing filth under your bill, we're removing Romeo and Juliet, which I don't consider filth. We're removing Lonesome Dove, which I don't consider filth. Things like Romeo and Juliet and Lonesome Dove and the Catcher and the Rye will be removed from school libraries because the definitions are overly broad. Now here, Representative Tallarico

cooks these MAGA Republicans again on a bill that forces every teacher to post the 10 commandments in their classroom in Texas, play this clip. Is there a separation of church and state in this country? That's an interesting question that has been debated a great deal, but what I'm going to say to you is I'm going to quote some of our earliest forefathers. Do you think that our forefathers... I want to give you a chance to talk, but I also just want to make sure that I'm getting

an answer to my question. Is there a separation of church and state in this country? Did those... That first Congress, that earliest Congress, when they authorized the production of a complete King James Bible, was that a separation of church and state? I'm just asking you a simple question. I know. I think that you're...

I think I've answered it. Do you know who coined the term separation of church and state? I do. Who is that? I believe it was Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson? Yes. Yeah.

Thomas Jefferson in that letter was referring to the First Amendment of the Constitution, the Establishment Clause, and the Free Exercise Clause, which clearly create a separation of church and state. I have some scholars here that can better answer your specific questions, and I am not that person. Okay. We established that. Our founding fathers wanted a separation of church and state.

I did not establish that. I absolutely did not establish that. Historical fact. I disagree with that. Do you think the Constitution is foundational to our country? I do. Why doesn't your bill mandate that the Constitution be posted in every classroom? Well, if you want to carry that bill, you can. I'm carrying the bill that I chose to carry.

Yeah, and I'm not interested in micromanaging what posters are put up in classrooms Which is why I would never carry a bill like this But I'm asking why since you are in the business of deciding what posters are up in a classroom which ones aren't Why is the Constitution? Not taking that prime spot because it's the most foundational document. I'm so tired. I'm just that's okay. I know. Let me move on. Let me move on. Yeah, I'm just trying to. Yes, I understand. Now, I want you to watch Tallarico again cross-examine these MAGA Republican state representatives on the voucher scam in Texas. That's widely unpopular amongst Democrats and Republicans,

but these MAGA's are pushing it. Here play this clip. Elon Musk is a Texas resident. So would he theoretically be eligible to apply for these funds? Yes. It was just announced that Elon has fathered his 14th child. I looked into this, eight of them are under school age. So let's say he gets a voucher for each of those eight

children. That's over 80,000 a year in taxpayer funds, more than what most teachers make. And so if you sent them to a private school from pre-K to senior year, that's a total of $1.2 million in taxpayer funds for Elon Musk. I mean, anyone's eligible. But you're the author of this bill. You could limit it to middle-class

and working-class families if you wanted to, but you are allowing, I know Elon Musk is a somewhat humorous example, but wealthy parents, whether they're the richest man in the world or whether they're just a family making over $500,000 a year, they have access to this program. Elon Musk is not in the committee substitute, but you can keep asking. So let's, when you look at Florida, 70% of the users of their voucher program were people who already had their kids in private school. In Arkansas, it was 95%. And so my concern is that if this plays out

like I think it will, you're actually gonna be taking the tax dollars of plumbers and nurses and working people, and you're gonna be subsidizing the tuition of wealthy families who already had their kids at St. John's st. Mark st. Stevens So that is a transfer of wealth from the bottom to the top I know the rhetoric around this bill is around helping working-class people or helping poor kids

But your bill does not match the rhetoric Your bill is opening the door to some of the wealthiest people in the state taking taxpayer funds to do something They're paying for anyway now. here's another great cross exam by Talarico to the author of the Ten Commandment Bill asking a simple question. Sometimes the simplest questions are the best cross exam. Is there a separation of church and state? Play this clip. Is there a separation of church and state in this country?

That's an interesting question that has been debated a great deal, but what I'm going to say to you is I'm going to quote some of our earliest forefathers. Do you think that our forefathers... I want to give you a chance to talk, but I also just want to make sure that I'm getting an answer to my question. Is there a separation of church and state in this country? Did those... That first Congress, that earliest Congress, when they authorized the production of a complete King James Bible, was that a separation of church and state? I'm just asking you a simple question.

I know. I think that you're... I think I've answered it. Do you know who coined the term separation of church and state? I do. Who is that? I believe it was Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson.

Yes. Yeah. Thomas Jefferson in that letter was referring to the First Amendment of the Constitution, the Establishment Clause, and the Free Exercise Clause, which clearly create a separation of church and state. I have some scholars here that can better answer your specific questions, and I am not that person. Okay. We've established that our founding fathers wanted a separation of church and state.

I did not establish that. I absolutely did not establish that. Sorry. Historical fact. Establish that. I disagree with that. But do you think the Constitution is foundational to our country? I do. Why doesn't your bill mandate that the Constitution

be posted in every classroom? Well, if you want to carry that bill, you can. I'm carrying the bill that I chose to carry. Yeah, and I'm not interested in micromanaging what posters are put up in classrooms, which is why I would never carry a bill like this. But I'm asking why, since you are in the business of deciding what posters are put up in classrooms, which is why I would never carry a bill like this. But I'm asking why, since you are in the business of deciding what posters are up in a classroom

and which ones aren't, why is the Constitution not taking that prime spot because it's the most foundational document? I'm so tired, I'm just that's okay. I know. And I'll let me move on. Let me move on. Yeah, I'm just trying to.

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So maybe there's more important things that Texas legislators should be doing like fixing the power grid, ensuring that people get healthcare and education versus making up stupid conspiracies about kids using litter boxes when the bill's author can't give one example, can't give one example. Play this clip. Can you name a school where it has been confirmed that students are using litter

boxes? Uh, well, what we do with this bill is we prevent that from from happening, but what we don't take out... Can you name a school where it has been confirmed that students are using litter boxes? This was at the top of your press release. This was mentioned when you introduced this bill. It created quite a stir. So I'm asking, can you name a school where it's been confirmed that there are litter boxes being provided to students?

For this purpose, no, I cannot. Your tweet about this bill was flagged by the app itself under their community notes, and their fact check said, sensationalist claims about furries literally behaving as animals and receiving accommodations such as litter boxes have been repeatedly debunked as hoaxes. Is that correct? It was flagged on what is it? Community notes. Okay. I find

it concerning that these types of debunked conspiracy theories are being used by politicians at the highest levels of our government, including in this legislature, who know that they're incorrect. Are you aware that Governor Abbott said, quote, kids go to school dressed up as cats with litter boxes in their classrooms?

Sure. Are you also aware that when the governor was asked by the Dallas Morning News to name a single school where this happened, he couldn't? And PolitiFact called this a pants on fire false claim started by online rumors? Okay. Do you think it's a good use of our time to write laws based on debunked internet conspiracy theories? bunked internet conspiracy theories. Well, this isn't, this piece of legislation before us

covers that among other things that are true. I think when you have a great cross exam too, you'll see that what you can show is that Texans from both political parties are against the voucher bill and against some of this nastiness in the state. Play this clip. I am a long-time Republican. I am a Republican. My voting record labels me as a hard Republican. I am a Republican precinctly. Conservative Republican. Proud conservative Republican. And I'm against HB 3. And I'm against the bill. This is

going against everything that a Texas Republican is. This bill is a skunk that we're trying to pass off as a kitty cat. It is not a conservative bill. Spending billions to create new programs is not conservative. I'm a conservative. This is not the conservative way. Using tax dollars to fund private education is a bad idea. This is my money that I do not want

spent on this. Homeschoolers are thriving without government intervention. I'm a long-time homeschool mom and a homeschool advocate and I have some serious concerns about this bill. The bill has been touted as one that protects parental rights but that simply is not true. Rural kids in particular, which is my passion, are going to get left behind. House Bill 3 doesn't serve rural communities like Blanco. You're tearing the communities apart.

The children are not even involved. It's about power and money. For those of you who are in the Republican Party like I am, it does violate the party principles, the priorities, the platform, the plank, all of it. 70% of Texans oppose vouchers. This bill must die in the house. One of the things to know about Talarico as well is that he's a very religious guy. He's in seminary to become a Baptist minister, but he recognizes the importance of the separation of church and state. And here's where he goes, look I love the

Ten Commandments, I've built my life around the Ten Commandments, but forging teachers to post the Ten Commandments violates the most important commandment, love thy neighbor. Beautiful. Play this clip. I love the Ten Commandments. I've tried to build my life on the Ten Commandments. But what does it mean to truly live out those Ten Commandments? The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13, the commandments, you shall not commit adultery,

you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and whatever other command there may be are summed up in this one command. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. The Hindu student who sits in a classroom is our neighbor. The Buddhist student who sits in a classroom is our neighbor. The Sikh student who sits in a classroom is our neighbor. The atheist student who sits in a classroom is our neighbor.

And we are called to love them as ourselves. But if this bill passes, we're going to put a poster on the wall of that classroom that says, Thou shall not worship any God before me. We're putting up a poster that says their religion is inferior. We're putting up a poster that says their faith is not welcome here. It's hard to be different as a kid. I bet each of you remembers a time that you felt left out, a time when you didn't fit in.

We've all experienced that. It's the loneliest feeling in the world. It's why so many of Jesus' teachings are about outsiders and outcasts, neighbors who don't fit in. Forcing our religion onto Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and atheist students is not love. Forcing teachers to put up a poster in their classrooms against their wills is not love. Love does no harm to a neighbor. Love is the fulfillment of the law. And here Tallarico in a speech that he delivers speaking to his haters and says, stop using

Jesus's name in order to support your hate. The people Jesus condemned were those who use religion to hurt others play this clip You know in scripture Jesus befriended people that others called sinners the only People in the Bible that Jesus condemned were religious leaders who used religion to hurt others Being a Christian is about loving thy neighbor, not bullying LGBTQ people. Being a Christian is about loving thy neighbor, not chasing pregnant women across state lines. Being a Christian is about loving thy neighbor,

not harassing librarians, silencing teachers and defunding our schools. I refuse to let Christian nationalists twist a religion of love to justify their hate. Here's how Talarico describes it with Wolf Blitzer on CNN. You're actually, in addition to being a representative, you're a preacher and a former middle school teacher. Explain why you're opposed to having the Ten Commandments posted in public school classrooms in the state of Texas. Yeah, my granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas. I've been going to the same church

since I was two years old, and I'm now in seminary studying to become a minister myself one day. So my faith means more to me than anything. But I believe that this bill is not only unconstitutional, un-American, but I also think it's deeply un-Christian. It not only violates the separation of church and state in this country, but it also violates the core teachings of Christianity. You know, the Apostle Paul said that the Ten Commandments are summed up in one command, love thy neighbor as thyself.

The Hindu student who's sitting in a Texas public school classroom is my neighbor. The Sikh student, the Buddhist student, the atheist student who's sitting in a Texas public school classroom is my neighbor. The Sikh student, the Buddhist student, the atheist student who's sitting in a Texas public school classroom is my neighbor. And I'm called to love them as myself and forcing my religion down their throats through government action is not love.

And finally, our very own Katie Fang from the Midas Touch Network breaks it down. Go Katie, go. And by the way, subscribe to Katie Fang's YouTube channel. Let's listen. Republican State Representative Brent Mone said, quote, we should be encouraging our students to read and study their Bible every day. Our kids in our public schools need prayer, need Bible reading more now than they ever have. Look, you want to know what the kids in Texas need? How about common sense gun legislation, gun safety legislation? The most recent data from Texas on gun violence

is the following. 4,630 gun deaths in Texas from 2022 of that 296 children and teens ages 1 through 17, on average in the state of Texas, one person is killed every two hours. Firearms were the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1 through 17 in the year 2022. This is the most recent data we have from the Centers for Disease Control. Footnote, which we're not probably going to be getting anymore courtesy of the Trump administration destroying funding to the CDC and not allowing them to speak to the American public. We don't need the Ten Commandments and the schools people in Texas. They need common sense gun safety legislation so the kids can live. Who cares if the kids know about thou shall not commit adultery?

If they're dead. If my kid in Texas goes to public school and they can't come home alive, I don't give a shit about the Ten Commandments being posted on the wall. This is not an indictment of religion, people. okay? I am a Christian, but being a Christian means something more than the hypocrisy of being what I call Sunday Christians, people that just go to church on Sundays and they look like they're all holier than thou, but in the reality, they're cheating on their taxes,

they're cheating on their spouses, they're beating their dogs, they're cruel to people that are LGBTQ+. That's not a real Christian. That's not a somebody who really is following the teachings of Christ. This absurdity is going to waste time and money in Texas. It's going to waste so much energy when it is on its face, plainly unconstitutional. But you know what? The Texas Republicans, they don't care.

They don't care because they are emboldened nationwide by the absurdity of white Christian nationalist moves like this. Great stuff right there. Hit subscribe, let's get to five million subscribers. Thought I would go a little local into Texas and show you what was going on there. Thanks for watching, hit subscribe. Let's get to 5 million subscribers. Thought I would go a little local into Texas and show you what was going on there. Thanks for watching. Hit subscribe.

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