James Talarico’s Beautiful Answer to Christian Nationalism | The Ezra Klein Show

State Representative James Talarico of Texas might have been our most requested guest last year. And he seemed to come out of nowhere.

Talarico started breaking through with viral videos on TikTok and Instagram. And in those videos, he didn’t sound like your typical Democrat. He’s forthrightly Christian, quoting Scripture to defend progressive positions and challenging Christian nationalism on Christian grounds. And he is now running for Senate in Texas — in a primary field that includes U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett — in what will be one of the most important Senate races this year.

So I wanted to have Talarico on the show to talk about his faith, his politics and the way those two have come together in this attentional moment. Because he’s clearly saying things that people are hungry to hear.

2:40 The root and experience of James Talarico’s beliefs
10:49 How to think about competing claims of different religions
12:15 James Talarico’s relationship to prayer
16:27 Progressive christianity, abortion and Talarico on Joe Rogan
19:33 Politicized Christianity and the religious right
27:11 Loud in christianity and cruel in politics
35:54 The rage economy
40:53 Should there be billionaires?
1:01 What is the antithesis of Trumpism?

Read the full transcript here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-james-talarico.html

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You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.html

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