Is It Gay to Flip Texas?

Episode of Pod Save America · May 29, 2026 · 1 h 32 min

Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer discuss the Iran MOU, the economy, Trump's gold-plated DC and $250 bill, Texas's Senate race, and interview Mississippi Senate nominee Scott Colom.

Summary

Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer opened with reports of a U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and continue negotiations for 60 days. Both argued the war had achieved nothing, with Favreau noting that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile existed only because Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. They then covered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's dismissal of stagflation concerns, with Pfeiffer arguing voters' economic views were set and would not improve for Republicans before the midterms.

The hosts criticized Trump's spending on gold-coated statues and a repainted Reflecting Pool ahead of the 250th anniversary, and his push for a $250 bill bearing his face; Pfeiffer argued voters would respond with derision rather than fear. Favreau detailed a ProPublica report that Peter Navarro steered a $620 million Pentagon loan to Vulcan, a company partly owned by Donald Trump Jr.

On Texas, they discussed Ken Paxton's runoff win over John Cornyn and Republican attacks on James Talarico's masculinity. Pfeiffer called the race Democrats' best chance in a generation, citing shifts among college-educated white and Latino voters, and advised Talarico to confront attacks head on and be omnipresent; Favreau urged framing the race as outsiders versus a corrupt system. They also discussed Marco Rubio's rise in a 2028 poll, Gretchen Whitmer ruling out a run, and Jill Biden's memoir account of the 2024 debate, which both hosts tied to a broader Democratic trust deficit.

In the interview, Scott Colom argued that tariffs, corruption and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's absence made Mississippi competitive, described meetings with former Republican voters, called tariffs a working-class tax, backed a congressional stock-trading ban, and said Democrats must center voters rather than candidates.

Chapters

Linked moment · 2:04Skip to 2:04 using a listen link in the info box.
2:04
Show opening
Favreau previews the episode's topics and promotes Crooked Media subscriptions.
3:49
The Iran memorandum of understanding
The hosts dismiss the reported U.S.–Iran MOU as an agreement to keep talking after a costly war.
9:21
Bessent and the stagflation warnings
The hosts react to Bessent's briefing on rising inflation and slowing growth and discuss gas prices and midterm politics.
15:00
Gold statues and the $250 bill
Trump's DC beautification spending and push to put his face on currency are framed as corrupt and out of touch.
26:35
Navarro, Don Jr. and the Vulcan loan
Favreau explains ProPublica's report on a Pentagon loan steered to a company partly owned by Donald Trump Jr.
31:13
Paxton's win and attacks on Talarico
The hosts analyze Paxton's runoff victory and the right's masculinity attacks on James Talarico.
41:41
Can Democrats flip Texas?
Pfeiffer lays out the demographic case for Talarico and both hosts discuss campaign strategy and faith.
56:25
Rubio, Vance and the 2028 field
The hosts discuss an Emerson poll showing Rubio tied with Vance and Gretchen Whitmer ruling out a run.
59:34
Jill Biden and the 2024 debate
Jill Biden's memoir account prompts the hosts to discuss Democrats' breach of voter trust.
1:08:48
Scott Colom's case for Mississippi
Colom explains why he believes he can win a Trump +23 state and criticizes Cindy Hyde-Smith.
1:14:48
Tariffs, farmers and Hyde-Smith's absence
Colom recounts voter conversations about tariffs and argues Hyde-Smith has failed to deliver for Mississippi.
1:18:50
Governing plans and answering attacks
Colom discusses bipartisan priorities, anti-corruption reforms, rebutting culture-war ads, and appealing to donors.

Key points

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

Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues the Iran MOU is a very minor development, not a major peace agreement.
“Is it better that maybe a couple ships will get through there? Yes. Is this the Treaty of fucking Versailles? No”
Listen from 6:33 · United States war with Iran
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues the war did nothing to set back Iran's nuclear program beyond Trump's earlier strikes.
“is Iran any further from developing a nuclear weapon than when this war started in February? No, we did nothing to push back the Iranian nuclear program”
Listen from 7:02 · United States war with Iran
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues Iran's enriched uranium stockpile exists only because Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal.
“There wouldn't even be more enriched uranium to be talking about if Trump hadn't gotten us out of the Iran deal”
Listen from 8:30 · Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
Dan Pfeiffer Prediction · due Nov 2026
Pfeiffer predicts shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will not return to prewar levels for at least six months.
“we're not going to see anywhere near the sort of traffic going through the Strait that we had before for six months at the earliest”
Listen from 12:46 · Strait of Hormuz
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues that because perceptions of the economy lag reality, even modest improvement is unlikely to help Republicans in the fall.
“even if things got a little bit better, it's unlikely to help Republicans this fall”
Listen from 13:43 · 2026 United States midterm elections
Jon Favreau
Favreau suggests Senate Democrats force a recorded vote on the $250 bill via an amendment during a vote-a-rama.
“So if I was Chuck Schumer or a Senate Democrat, I might offer an amendment about this and let's put everyone on the record”
Listen from 20:39 · Proposed $250 bill featuring Donald Trump
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues voters now respond to Trump's self-glorification with derision rather than fear because he appears weak.
“I think should people be creeped out by it? Absolutely. I think the approach is probably not fear. It's derision”
Listen from 20:51 · Proposed $250 bill featuring Donald Trump
Dan Pfeiffer Prediction · due Jan 2029
Pfeiffer predicts Trump will likely pardon his sons before leaving office while lower-level facilitators face legal jeopardy.
“Trump is probably, although not definitely, going to pardon his sons before he leaves”
Listen from 27:27 · Political corruption in the United States
Jon Favreau
Favreau says Vulcan's valuation rose from $200 million to $2 billion after receiving the Pentagon loan steered by Navarro.
“The valuation of the company went from $200 million to $2 billion, a 900% increase”
Listen from 28:08 · Office of Strategic Capital loan to Vulcan Elements
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues Paxton would have won the runoff without Trump's endorsement, citing private polling and anti-Cornyn sentiment.
“Ken Paxton was winning this primary, whether Donald Trump endorsed him or not”
Listen from 32:44 · 2026 United States Senate election in Texas
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer argues the Talarico race is Democrats' best opportunity in a generation to win statewide in Texas.
“this is our best chance in a generation to win statewide office in Texas”
Listen from 41:57 · 2026 United States Senate election in Texas
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer praises Talarico for directly confronting attacks, unlike Kamala Harris's 2024 approach.
“The fact that he sat down for the interview with Ed O'Keefe to take tough questions about the things he said shows the right instincts”
Listen from 46:28 · 2026 United States Senate election in Texas
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues Democrats should frame the race around Paxton harming Texans rather than merely his bad character.
“It is very easy to turn this into a race about what a bad person Ken Paxton is. And I think it would be a mistake to just just talk about Ken Paxton as a bad person”
Listen from 51:54 · 2026 United States Senate election in Texas
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer attributes Rubio's rise mainly to seeming more competent and normal than Vance and other cabinet members.
“I just think he is a Republican who might seem slightly more competent and normal than your average Trump cabinet member”
Listen from 57:22 · 2028 Republican Party presidential primaries
Dan Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer says what matters now is whether Democratic leaders reckon with the breach of trust over how Biden's condition was handled.
“whether Democratic leaders now will ever reckon with the massive breach of trust that came because of how all of that was handled”
Listen from 1:02:48 · 2024 Biden–Trump presidential debate
Jon Favreau
Favreau argues Democrats' denials about Biden were transparently false and treated voters as fools.
“It's treating people like they're fucking idiots, which is basically what they did”
Listen from 1:05:05 · 2024 Biden–Trump presidential debate
Scott Colom
Colom argues Democrats must regain voter trust through in-person campaigning rather than advertising.
“We can't advertise our way out this problem. We got to go back and touch voters. We got to gain their trust”
Listen from 1:13:14 · 2026 United States Senate election in Mississippi
Scott Colom
Colom argues tariffs are a regressive working-class tax that falls equally on low and high earners.
“It's a terrible way to collect revenue because if you make, you know, $15,000 a month or you make $2,000 a month, you're paying the same tax”
Listen from 1:16:24 · Tariffs in the second Trump administration
Scott Colom
Colom accuses Cindy Hyde-Smith of being absent from the state and relying on scare-tactic ads.
“she hasn't done a town hall in six years. She does not campaign. I mean, her only strategy is scare tactics”
Listen from 1:16:58 · 2026 United States Senate election in Mississippi
Scott Colom
Colom supports a congressional stock-trading ban and restrictions on senators becoming lobbyists.
“that's why I support a ban on stock trading. That's why we can't have people become lobbyists right after they become senators”
Listen from 1:19:17 · Congressional stock trading
Scott Colom
Colom urges donors and party strategists to prioritize Mississippi because it is cheaper to compete in.
“Maybe we need to redo the list a little bit because Mississippi is a cheaper state to compete in”
Listen from 1:27:55 · 2026 United States Senate election in Mississippi
Scott Colom Prediction · due Nov 2026
Colom predicts he will win the Mississippi Senate race, surprising observers outside the state.
“man, I'm telling you, I'm going to win. People are going to be, other people outside Mississippi are going to be surprised”
Listen from 1:28:52 · 2026 United States Senate election in Mississippi

People

In the conversation

Jon FavreauCo-host of Pod Save America and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama
Dan PfeifferCo-host of Pod Save America, author of the Message Box newsletter, and former White House communications director
Scott ColomMississippi district attorney and 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Mississippi

Discussed

Ken PaxtonTexas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee
John CornynIncumbent Republican U.S. senator from Texas
Peter NavarroTrump trade adviser reported to have steered a Pentagon loan to Vulcan
Donald Trump Jr.Son of Donald Trump, reportedly discussed as Apprentice host
Marco RubioU.S. Secretary of State who defended the Iran campaign at a cabinet meeting
JD VanceVice President of the United States
Gretchen WhitmerGovernor of Michigan
Cindy Hyde-SmithRepublican U.S. senator from Mississippi, Colom's opponent
Joe BidenFormer president whose economic approval is compared to Trump's
Ted CruzU.S. senator who called the Druski sketch beneath contempt
Beto O'RourkeFormer Texas congressman who ran against Ted Cruz in 2018
Kamala HarrisFormer Vice President mentioned as a potential California endorser
Stephen MillerWhite House deputy chief of staff and architect of the administration's immigration agenda
Scott JenningsConservative commentator who praised the Iran deal
Thad CochranFormer Republican U.S. senator from Mississippi cited by Colom
Graham PlatnerPresumptive Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine

Topics

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From the publisher

After Ken Paxton's victory in the Texas Senate Republican primary runoff, the MAGA faithful set their sights on James Talarico, attempting to disqualify him for being too much of a beta male for Texas. Will it stick? The White House is on the verge of getting Iran to the table to negotiate, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismisses concerns that the U.S. economy is heading toward stagflation, and Trump accelerates his quest to stamp his image on Washington, covering statues in gold and attempting to create a $250 bill with his own face on it. On the presidential family front: ProPublica reports that the administration funneled millions to a company owned in part by Donald Trump Jr., while Dr. Jill Biden finally speaks candidly about her reaction to her husband's infamous 2024 debate performance. Then, Scott Colom, the Democratic nominee for Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat, stops by the studio to talk to Jon about why he believes the deep-red state is in play. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here . For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

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