Brian Tyler Cohen Ties Ken Paxton's No-Show to GOP's Culture-War Playbook

Brian Tyler Cohen, host of No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen, said Ken Paxton's decision to skip James Talarico's CNN town hall shows a Republican Party that runs on culture-war fear rather than on lowering costs. He used the Texas Senate race to call for "this new brand of Democrats."

Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas, was invited to CNN's town hall but did not respond. Talarico, a Democratic state representative, took questions alone. He leads by 3.1 points in PolitiKool's polling average for the Texas Senate race, and early voting starts Monday.

Brian Tyler Cohen on Ken Paxton's Absence

Cohen played a clip of Talarico at the town hall describing the false claims that spread online while he was home sick. Talarico called it "an example of what I call the rage economy," and added: "Conspiracy theories don't put food on the table."

Cohen then turned to Paxton. "Isn't it interesting how Ken Paxton and his buddies are totally available while they're spreading disinformation," he said. "But there's apparently no time for Paxton himself to take the debate stage, to talk directly to the people whose votes he's asking for."

He called the race a microcosm of the national fight and said "the GOP's only move is to divide, to attack, and to fear monger." Every fall before an election, he said, "there is migrant caravans or some gay bathroom panic or some trans person trying to win a medal."

"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." — Brian Tyler Cohen

The Talarico Hospital Rumor

The rumor Cohen pointed to was that Talarico had been treated at a psychiatric hospital in Ohio during a roughly weeklong break from the campaign in early October. Conservative influencers started it on X, and Elon Musk, who financially backs Paxton, helped spread it. The Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio, said Talarico "has never received treatment" there. Time-stamped images from his home security system put him in Austin from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8.

PolitiFact rated the claim that audio proved Talarico had been discharged from a mental hospital "Pants on Fire". Paxton and President Donald Trump did attack Talarico for his absence, and some conservative hosts, including Megyn Kelly, questioned his flu explanation.

How Cohen's Numbers Compare

Cohen argued that Republicans, who hold the House, the Senate and the White House, have little to show for it. "Gas is at record highs, inflation's up almost 33%. We're spending a billion dollars a day on a new war in Iran, prices on everything are higher thanks to a trade war," he said. "You know how many trans athletes are in the NCAA? Fewer than 10."

His broad point about prices matches the record. Consumer prices rose 3.7 percent in the year to September, and gasoline accounted for more than half of that month's increase. But several of his specific figures need context:

Cohen also said there were "no Democrats in control anywhere." That holds for Washington. Democrats still hold a number of governorships and state legislatures.

Cohen's Call for a 'New Brand of Democrats'

Cohen said that "Americans are sicker, poorer and hungrier than they were two years ago." He urged listeners to "help us usher in this new brand of Democrats who are focused on delivering for regular people. A brand of Democrats who are younger, more in tune with their constituents, more progressive and yes, even capable of using modern technology."

Polling backs up the economic frustration he described. Trump's approval on the economy stands at 29.9 percent in PolitiKool's polling average, and Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot by 7.8 points. But Democrats are not popular either: the party's net favorability is −14.7 in PolitiKool's average.

"I don't want to just win," Cohen said. "I want to repudiate Trumpism in every state across the country."