What did James Talarico say about Ken Paxton on The Diary Of A CEO?

James Talarico called his Republican opponent Ken Paxton one of the most corrupt politicians in the country, yet said he loves him as a brother in Christ. He pointed to Paxton's indictment for investment fraud involving friends, his staff reporting him to the FBI and his impeachment by his own party. Talarico compared defeating Paxton to taking car keys from a drunk friend, an act of love that also protects everyone else.

• Talarico framed the race through the parable of the Good Samaritan, likening it to a story called the Good Aggie told at a Longhorns stadium.

▸In their words

“Ken Paxton is a child of God.” James Talarico · at 1:21:44 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett (2026-11-02). Read the whole episode summary →

▸More from this episode