Texas Senator Ted Cruz is escalating his warnings about Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico on his podcast, telling supporters that if elected, the 37‑year‑old would “be the most woke left‑wing senator the country has ever seen," and would model himself after Bernie Sanders. For years, Sanders has held the highest approval rating of any U.S. senator, according to Morning Consult’s national tracking. Talarico is running against Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas' U.S.
Texas voters, national Democrats, and broadcast networks are all affected as the race becomes a flashpoint in a broader fight over media access, federal regulation, and the boundaries of political rhetoric, with new controversies emerging over FCC pressure on late‑night shows and violent heckling at the GOP midterm convention. Cruz made the Sanders comparison during a lengthy critique of Talarico’s past statements, telling Verdict with Ted Cruz listeners that the state representative is attempting a strategic makeover: “Lie to the voters, then get in power,” Cruz said. For years, Sanders has ranked as America's most popular senator, consistently topping Morning Consult’s approval tracker with ratings often above 60 percent.
The Vermont independent's national profile is built on decades of activism, two presidential campaigns, and a legislative identity entrenched in democratic socialism. His policy agenda includes universal health care, tuition‑free college, aggressive climate action, and expanded labor rights, positions that have helped shift the Democratic Party leftward since 2016. Sanders is both widely liked and ideologically defined, and by invoking him, Cruz is signaling that Talarico would not be a moderate Democrat but a generational progressive with staying power.
Sanders’ long record, from civil rights activism in Chicago to his leadership of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, provides a contrast Cruz wants voters to see. Sanders is 85; Talarico is 37. Cruz argues that Texas could elect a senator with Sanders’ ideology but decades more runway to shape national politics.
Cruz told supporters he believes Talarico is attempting a political rebrand, softening or reversing past statements on gender, capitalism, and transgender policy. On his podcast, Cruz said he expects Talarico to lean even further into the transformation. But that’s the theory — lie to the voters, then get in power," the senator said.
Cruz argues that Talarico’s recent interviews, including attempts to walk back comments about “six biological sexes,” how “God is nonbinary,” and dismantling capitalism, are evidence of political repositioning rather than genuine ideological change. He also claims Talarico’s generational identity matters: unlike older Democrats who may have distanced themselves from pandemic‑era cultural debates, Cruz says Talarico “believes this nonsense” and would legislate accordingly. The Talarico campaign is also colliding with an unprecedented media fight as late‑night host Jimmy Kimmel announced Wednesday that his interview with Talarico would not air on ABC, citing threats from the Federal Communications Commission, which he said pressured the network and its affiliates over equal‑time rules.
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