Choosin' Texas with Bobby Pulido

Episode of Pod Save America · September 27, 2026 · 1 h 2 min

Live at the Texas Tribune Festival, the Pod Save America hosts assess Texas and national midterm races, Xi Jinping's visit, and interview congressional candidate Bobby Pulido.

Summary

Recorded live at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor and Dan Pfeiffer discussed Democrats' prospects in Texas ahead of the 2026 midterms. They covered Donald Trump's campaign trips to deep-red Alabama and Oklahoma, heavy Republican spending to rescue Ken Paxton in the Senate race, and James Talarico's challenge to debate Paxton on Fox News, which Vietor called a well-executed attention play. Lovett argued Greg Abbott's data center pause was a tactical retreat he could reverse after the election, while Vietor and Pfeiffer praised Gina Hinojosa's gubernatorial campaign; Pfeiffer described it as a high-risk strategy that Democrats in red states should emulate.

Pfeiffer attributed Democratic gains to Trump's unpopularity, an unpopular war and high gas and diesel prices, arguing that Texas concentrates the groups Trump is losing most: Latino voters and working-class white women. Following a Cook Political Report forecast that the GOP was on track to lose the House, the hosts discussed how Democrats should target limited money, frustration with hesitant large donors, and a Senate map expanding into Iowa, Ohio, Alaska and Kansas, alongside worrying polls in Maine and Michigan. They also discussed muted Democratic reaction to allegations about Mary Peltola's treatment of staff and mocked Trump's hosting of Xi Jinping, including a tour of the ballroom construction site; Vietor called the summit a substance-free embarrassment.

The episode included a game on Texas political scandals involving Paxton, Brandon Herrera and Beau French. Bobby Pulido then described his race against Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas's 15th district, saying voters felt lied to about wars, prices and health care, that immigration enforcement had left the Rio Grande Valley living in fear, and that De La Cruz was disingenuously distancing herself from policies she had backed. He said his campaign succeeded by showing up in every county, including rural areas Democrats had neglected, before playing a rapid-fire game with the hosts.

Chapters

0:21
Live from Texas Tribune Festival
The hosts open the live show and discuss Trump's campaign stops in deep-red Alabama and Oklahoma rather than Texas.
3:27
Talarico vs. Paxton Senate race
The hosts assess Republican spending for Ken Paxton, focus group reactions, and James Talarico's Fox News debate challenge.
9:43
Texas governor's race
Discussion of Greg Abbott's data center moratorium and Gina Hinojosa's campaign strategy on education and rural voters.
16:31
Texas House races and demographic shifts
Pfeiffer explains why Latino and working-class white voters make Texas a generational opportunity for Democrats.
22:28
Two Scandals and a Lie game
Lovett quizzes the other hosts on real and invented scandals involving Paxton, Brandon Herrera and Beau French.
27:20
National House outlook and Democratic spending
The hosts react to Cook's forecast of a Democratic House takeover and debate where Democrats should invest and why big donors are holding back.
36:59
Expanding Senate map
Discussion of Republican emergency spending in red states and concerning polls in Maine, New Hampshire and Michigan.
41:21
Mary Peltola staff allegations
The hosts discuss the muted Democratic reaction to reports about Peltola's treatment of staff.
44:54
Xi Jinping's White House visit
The hosts mock Trump's ballroom tour for Xi and argue the summit produced nothing of substance.
48:25
Interview with Bobby Pulido
Pulido discusses why voters are turning from Trump, De La Cruz's shift on ICE, and his strategy of campaigning in rural counties.
56:15
Choosin' Texas or Cowboy Up game
Pulido answers rapid-fire either-or questions before directing listeners to his campaign.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues that Trump's visit to Alabama's 2nd district could backfire by energizing Black voters in a deeply red area.
“So I think there's a very real chance that Trump could actually, in trying to do no harm, could do real harm even in this very, very deeply red district”
Listen from 3:19 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argues that even a Talarico debate on Fox News would be on hostile terrain because Fox is part of the MAGA media apparatus.
“Fox News is Fox News. And they are an extension of the MAGA media machine”
Listen from 7:38 · 2026 United States Senate election in Texas
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues Paxton's refusal to debate while trailing shows a lack of confidence, since challengers normally seek debates.
“even from behind, usually the winning candidate, the candidate ahead is not the one demanding an opportunity to have a big stage in which they face the opponent”
Listen from 8:36 · 2026 United States Senate election in Texas
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues Abbott's data center pause is designed to give him flexibility to reverse course after the November election.
“He is allowing a process to unfold that could allow him to have basically complete flexibility after the election in November”
Listen from 10:38 · Data center opposition in Texas
Tommy Vietor
Vietor describes Hinojosa's strategy as winning around 60% of Latinos, dominating big urban counties, and peeling off independents and rural Republicans.
“her strategy is basically to win about 60% of the Latino vote, to blow it out in the five big urban counties”
Listen from 13:40 · 2026 Texas gubernatorial election
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues Hinojosa is correctly running an aggressive, high-risk campaign because that is the only way a Democrat can win Texas's governorship.
“the only way that a Democrat is going to win the governorship in Texas is to run a very high variance strategy to take real risk”
Listen from 16:13 · 2026 Texas gubernatorial election
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues Texas is especially promising for Democrats because it concentrates Latino and working-class white women voters, the groups Trump is losing most.
“Because the two groups who Trump is losing the most ground with across the country have the greatest concentration in Texas”
Listen from 18:06 · Latino voters in the United States
Dan Pfeiffer Prediction · due Nov 2026
Pfeiffer predicts Democrats will win all nine Republican-held House seats that Kamala Harris carried.
“I think you can assume that given this political environment, Democrats will win all nine seats that Kamala Harris won”
Listen from 28:38 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues Republicans are spending in Trump +10-15 districts to limit the size of a Democratic House majority rather than to keep control.
“It's to limit the size of the Democratic majority to make it easier for them to potentially get it back in 2028 or 2030”
Listen from 28:54 · Campaign finance in the United States
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer expects a surge in Black turnout in response to the Supreme Court's elimination of majority-minority districts.
“I really do think one of the driving things here is going to be a huge surge in black turnout as a response to the Supreme Court”
Listen from 29:40 · Louisiana v. Callais
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argues that major Democratic donors are wrongly holding back during a potentially historic opportunity.
“it just feels like a moment when all the biggest donors in the party should be pushing all their chips in the table”
Listen from 31:56 · Campaign finance in the United States
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer attributes reduced large-donor giving partly to fear of retaliation from Trump via investigations and regulatory scrutiny.
“there are a lot of people who are very afraid of being targeted by Trump”
Listen from 33:41 · Campaign finance in the United States
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues that maximizing House gains in 2026 would help a future Democratic president pass an agenda after 2028.
“that's going to make it more likely for that Democratic president to actually be able to pass a real agenda through Congress”
Listen from 35:00 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Tommy Vietor
Vietor explains weaker Democratic polling in Maine and New Hampshire by noting those states lack the Latino voters driving national shifts.
“Maine and New Hampshire are like two of the whitest states in the nation, literally. So you're just not going to see that demographic shift showing up there”
Listen from 40:06 · 2026 United States Senate election in Maine
Jon Lovett
Lovett argues Democrats rightly shrugged off the Peltola allegations because control of the Senate is more important.
“It is a privilege to pretend you don't have to think about the stakes. Everybody has to think about the stakes”
Listen from 43:13 · Mary Peltola staff treatment allegations
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argues the Trump-Xi summit lacked any purpose or outcome and left Trump looking subservient.
“Usually a bilateral meeting between two great superpowers has a purpose or an outcome that you're preparing to get to. This one was a joke”
Listen from 46:17 · Xi Jinping 2026 visit to the United States
Linked moment · 47:20Skip to 47:20 using a listen link in the info box.
Tommy Vietor
Vietor argues Xi holds leverage over Trump through rare earths and trade.
“Xi's got him over a barrel with rare earths and all these trade issues”
Listen from 47:20 · Xi Jinping 2026 visit to the United States
Bobby Pulido
Pulido says pro-business Republican voters are discovering Trump's policies hurt business, the biggest break he has observed.
“they're finding out right now that those policies are actually bad for business. And that's the biggest break that I've seen”
Listen from 50:22 · Texas's 15th congressional district
Bobby Pulido
Pulido says voters in his district feel lied to about wars and fuel prices, which is driving them away from Trump.
“They said there was going to be no new wars, and now when they put gas and diesel now that's $6 a gallon, they're reminded that they got lied to”
Listen from 50:40 · Texas's 15th congressional district
Bobby Pulido
Pulido calls De La Cruz's advocacy for detained constituents hypocritical given her votes to expand detention.
“But she absolutely wants to have it both ways. And you can't”
Listen from 53:34 · U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Bobby Pulido
Pulido says his campaign has succeeded by campaigning in every county, including rural areas Democrats had long neglected.
“We've gone to every single county, the reddest counties, counties that don't have a Democratic party”
Listen from 54:24 · Texas's 15th congressional district
Bobby Pulido
Pulido says he avoids shaming Trump voters and focuses on the future instead.
“The one thing I don't do is I don't go shame them for how they voted”
Listen from 55:27 · Texas's 15th congressional district

People

In the conversation

Jon FavreauCo-host of Pod Save America and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama
Jon LovettCo-host of Pod Save America; diarization split of the same speaker during the economics segment
Tommy VietorCo-host of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World who conducted the Josh Turek interview
Dan PfeifferCo-host of Pod Save America, author of the Message Box newsletter, and former White House communications director
Bobby PulidoLatin Grammy-winning Tejano musician and Democratic nominee in Texas's 15th congressional district

Discussed

Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
Ken PaxtonTexas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee
James TalaricoDemocratic Senate nominee in Texas
Gina HinojosaDemocratic nominee for governor of Texas
Greg AbbottRepublican governor of Texas
Monica De La CruzRepublican U.S. Representative for Texas's 15th district
Brandon HerreraRepublican candidate in Texas's 23rd district and gun YouTuber
Beau FrenchRepublican candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner
Xi JinpingGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and paramount leader of China
Mary PeltolaDemocratic Senate candidate in Alaska
Susan CollinsRepublican senator who noted Congress holds the power of the purse
Abdul El-SayedDemocratic Senate nominee in Michigan
John KennedyRepublican U.S. Senator from Louisiana
Jeff YassBillionaire investor and charter school donor
Ruben GallegoDemocratic U.S. Senator from Arizona
Hakeem JeffriesHouse Democratic leader Haywood met about NIL

Topics

Have Republicans Already Blown the Midterms?
Pod Save America · Oct 18, 2026 · 1 h 11 min
Dan Pfeiffer and Cook Political Report's Amy Walter assess the 2026 midterm landscape two weeks out, covering Senate and House races, polling, Trump, and redistricting.
Trump Plans to Shove What Where?
Pod Save America · Oct 6, 2026 · 1 h 21 min
Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor assess Democrats' red-state polling surge before the 2026 midterms, and Vietor interviews Texas gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa.
Impeach Pete Hegseth?
Pod Save America · Sep 29, 2026 · 58 min
Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor and Jon Lovett discuss diesel prices, a Republican data center bill, rogue AI models, a possible Pete Hegseth impeachment and Trump's taxpayer-funded ads.
1064. Andy & DJ CTI: Iran Terror Plot Fears, Nor'easter Slams East Coast & Rising NASCAR Star Attacked
REAL AF with Andy Frisella · Sep 29, 2026 · 1 h 25 min
Andy Frisella and DJ discuss a foiled suspected Iranian plot at RAF Fairford, Andrew Bailey's FBI resignation, voter demoralization, a Nor'easter, sports fights and a pulled GoFundMe.
James Talarico’s HERETIC Pastor Exposed in Undercover Video (Pastors RESPOND) | Live Free with Josh Howerton
Live Free with Josh Howerton · Sep 28, 2026 · 1 h 46 min
Lakepointe pastors Josh Howerton, Carlos Erazo, and Paul Cunningham discuss 2 Timothy 4, outline five common false teachings, and critique a viral video of James Talarico's pastor.
“This Will Be The Most Violent Election Of Our Lifetime” - Robert Pape #1154
Modern Wisdom · Sep 24, 2026 · 1 h 43 min
Political scientist Robert Pape tells Chris Williamson that mass public support for political violence makes the coming US midterms the most dangerous election in living memory.

From the publisher

Live from the Texas Tribune Festival, Jon, Tommy, Lovett, and Dan discuss the dream of a blue Texas and how the campaigns there are doing, from James Talarico's debate challenge to Ken Paxton, to Gina Hinojosa's momentum in the governor's race, to Donald Trump's decision to stay away entirely. Then they discuss Trump's special welcome — and ballroom tour — for Chinese President Xi Jinping and an assorted cast of tech oligarchs, and the Republican Party's growing frustration with their underperformance in typically purple states like North Carolina and Georgia. Then, award-winning Tejano artist Bobby Pulido, the Democratic nominee in Texas's must-win 15th district, stops by to talk about his race to unseat Trump-backed Rep. Monica De La Cruz. Hate listening to ads? Become a Friends of the Pod subscriber for ad-free episodes of Pod Save America, Pod Save the World, Lovett or Leave It, Runaway Country, Offline with Jon Favreau, and more—plus exclusive content, including bonus episodes of Pod Save America. Subscribe now at crooked.com/friends , on Apple Podcasts, or through the Pod Save America YouTube channel. You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com . Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·News Commentary