Brett Cooper — James Talarico Is The Pastor From Hell | Episode 149

Something that you love, that's not family or friends. Um I love I'm just saying this cuz it's on my mind, the trans children who showed up yesterday at the state capitol. >> Now, I have to say, after spending the last five-ish years talking about the weirdest things that I find on the internet every day, very few things take me aback. And then, I come across this Presbyterian pastor nutjob who is literally so insane that I am dedicating an entire episode to him.

So, let me introduce you all to James Talarico, who is running for Senate in Texas. Now, before I tell you about this man and why you should be very concerned, make sure that you like this video, subscribe to the channel if you've not already, and of course, ring that notification bell if you want to stay up to date to every single thing we upload on the channel. And if you want behind-the-scenes content, farm blogs, all of that fun jazzy stuff, go to cooperconfidential.com.

That is my subscription platform that we built from the ground up for you guys. All right, so, diving in today, I just want to say that yes, this man is running for Senate in Texas, but this episode should matter to you even if you don't live in Texas because it is important to see the playbook that Democrats are most likely going to be using in 2026 and 2028. We need to be vigilant, we need to be aware, and Mr. James Talarico is just the perfect example.

So, before we dive into the insane videos that are circulating on the internet right now, let's just take a look at the highlights from his campaign page. So, you have him here. The first thing that comes to mind is I feel like every one of us knows some lesbian woman that looks exactly like him. Like, that is the energy that this photo is giving. But, his website reads, "Meet James Talarico." James is an eighth-generation Texan, former middle school teacher, uh that's weird, trans kid, and Presbyterian seminarian.

As a state representative, he's led the fight against the billionaire mega-donors and puppet politicians who have taken over Texas. Now, he's running for US Senate to take his fight against corruption to Washington and to win back power for the working people. All right, so, what this man is doing is he is positioning himself as a down-home Christian moderate man. Like color me crazy, but I do not think tranzing the kids is moderate.

And even in 2026, it's not moderate because the majority of Americans are against it. The majority of Americans are kind of like, "Yeah, it's a little step too far." But James might not be aware of that polling because he is certainly running with this idea. Now, as you will see, none of his other positions are that moderate, either. Anyway, that clip that I showed you at the top of the episode today is going viral this week after James won his primary in Texas.

He was going up against Jasmine Crockett. He blew that woman right out of the water, which honestly, I mean, good for him, I guess, but honestly, she wasn't a great candidate to begin with. But honestly, I'm a little sad because making fun of her for the next however many months, 9 months, was going to be just an absolute treat. But instead, we have to talk about this fake Christian pastor. But anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that now the entire internet is paying attention to this Democrat megastar.

Now that Jasmine Crockett is out of the way, he has set his sights on Washington. In the last 48 hours, my feed has been filled with videos of him. Somebody commented on that first video and said, instead of something like Jesus Christ or America or my dogs or even something more superficial like college football, this was the answer he chose to connect with his fellow Texan, which is so true. So, either he cannot read the room or we should be really worried about our friends over in purple Texas.

Somebody else posted this photo and said, "Has anyone seen this guy and Isaac from Children of the Corn in the same room at the same time?" And nope. And also, I have to say, he does look suspiciously suspiciously like Elliot Page, if you catch my drift. Just saying. Anyway, the big thing over on X right now is people arguing over whether James Talarico is a real Christian or whether he's more Christian than all of the MAGA voters.

Whatever it is. But here's the thing, I am not a theologian, neither is he, to be honest. Anyway, I am not a theologian. I am not here to do that. I will leave that debate up to the people who are more well-versed in that arena. But I I want to shine a light on what this man is obviously doing from a strategy standpoint because he is using his faith as a means to an end. It is being used as a way to connect with voters and create a palatable brand for most of normal America who just wants a common sense candidate who makes them feel good.

And up until this weekend, I will say it has been working. I mean even the Joe Rogan, Matthew McConaughey types of the world who want the squishy, uncontroversial, moderate, but sort of conservative ideas are falling for his stick. Listen to what they said on a recent episode of Joe Rogan's podcast. James Talarico explained it to me. Um he's a Texas representative who's also in seminary. He's a very religious man and he opposes it and he's a Democrat.

And um he said essentially there's two very wealthy men who are um they're Christian fundamentalists where they want to replace all the funding for public schools and put in private Christian They want a theocracy. in Texas essentially. I don't know if he's correct or not. >> But he's saying maybe I don't have a problem with this. I do have a problem with this is a beginning of an overcompensation. >> has a problem with it being in classes.

He does not agree with it at all and he's a very religious man. >> Correct. Very religious man like like a great Christian. >> Right. And he thinks that this is this is how you're going to repel people away from Christianity. >> A great Christian who doesn't want religion taught in schools. Make it make sense. Anyway, listen, on the surface, I get it because this man's branding has been effective and it is fit for the times.

He was certainly more professional seeming and serious than his opponent Jasmine Crockett. That obviously is saying something, but I just want you to look at this ad that he produced back in September. This is the first time that I ever saw him. Just watch. The biggest divide in our country is not left versus right. It's top versus bottom. Billionaires want us looking left and right at each other so that we're not looking up at them.

The people at the top work so hard to keep us angry and divided because our unity is a threat to their wealth and their power. So, their social media algorithms and their cable news networks tear us apart. They divide us by party, by race, by gender, by religion so that we don't notice that they're defunding our schools, gutting our health care, and cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends. It is the oldest strategy in the world.

Divide and conquer. But, we will not be conquered. We're underdogs in this fight. We're going up against those billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians. We're going up against a rigged system. And we're going up against a lot of money. But, I'm a former middle school teacher. I don't scare easily. Okay, I cannot keep watching this. Basically, what happens is he continues to say a bunch of empty platitudes about unity.

The camera continues to pull back. The music swells. It's twangy. It's Texan all the things. Like, come on. The man is milking it. Oh my god. Like, HE'S IN THE BACK of a pickup truck preaching, perfectly poised right in front of a church. The Texas flag is hanging suspiciously perfectly in frame. He's got a black kid situated in frame, elevated on the pickup truck, only one of three in the crowd, I think. So, I'm sure that they propped him up right there to be like, "Look.

Look. The black community loves him. We got to get you guys, too." They've got the old school twang going on. They've got the filter that makes you feel like you're watching some kind of second coming of JFK. It's ridiculous. And he's not actually saying anything of substance. He's not really talking about policy. It's just, you know, unity. Look up, not right and left. Come together, my brothers. And that is what he wanted people to take from that video.

A feeling, an essence, a vibe of who he is. And let me tell you, until now, most people have not seen through the filters and the branding and the perfectly positioned chapel and LITTLE BLACK BOY, THEY HAVE been eating it up, just like I've been eating up my new supplements from Jevity. Because, guys, I am officially a Jevity absolutist. I am obsessed with this platform and I'm so excited the changes that I can make in my body with their new plans for me.

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It is like somebody finally connected the dots and I am so excited. So, if you are tired of throwing money at problems that you don't actually understand, this is different. Go to gojevity.com/brettcooper, use code Brett for 20% off. That is gjevity.com/brettcooper. Stop guessing and start knowing with Jevity. And guys, if you are also tired of outdated education, then maybe GCU is the place for you. And I am so proud that this show is sponsored by Grand Canyon University, which is an affordable private Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona.

I've been working with them for years now and I'm so proud of everything they are doing. GCU doesn't just settle for the status quo. They shatter it with rigorous industry-driven programs that are built to move at the speed of relevance with practical skills, career readiness, and opportunity for every single student. Unlike other colleges, they don't want to just make money off of your meaningless degrees. They want your education at GCU to be a springboard into future career success and personal success.

That is their goal. With some 380 programs including 153 degree programs, 180 emphases, and 56 certificate programs, there truly is a different path for everyone and no matter where you are at in your education. Recognized for excellence in academics and in campus life, GCU's vibrant campus was even ranked in the top 20 best college campuses in the country by niche.com for 2026. They are grounded in Christian truth, not Talarico truth, and GCU works to empower the next generation to lead with integrity, serve with purpose, and help transform their communities and build a future that matters.

So, if that sounds like something you're interested in, go take action and find your purpose at GCU. It is private, it's Christian, affordable, and it's nonprofit. Visit gcu.edu to learn more. Again, gcu.edu to learn more to get a real Christian teaching from somebody who is not James Talarico. I mean, look at these comments from that TikTok video. One person said, "Billionaires want us looking right and left at each other so we're not looking up at them."

Absolutely true. Ella's dad commented and said, "I never vote dem, but I will FOR THIS GUY." WHY? WHAT DID HE SAY THAT COULD sway you? That he's a middle school teacher so he doesn't scare easily? Like, seriously, Ella's dad, come up with something better. Somebody else commented and said, "It's not about blue or red, it's about common sense." He's right. Yeah, so true, kingpin New Jersey. So true, but you know, the thing is actually, for James Talarico, it actually is left versus right.

It actually is very partisan and actually, his policies are not about common sense. They're batshit crazy. They're things that you would expect to see at a West Hollywood pride parade except he's dressing them up in a tweed suit while holding a Bible. That is what is happening here, and this man is hoping that Texas is just too dumb to notice. I mean, just listen to what he said when he won his primary last week. We are running against the broken system and the powerful people who broke it.

They're they're scared of the movement we are building. They're going to throw everything they have at us. They're going to call me a radical leftist. They're going to call me a fake Christian. They'll call our movement un-Texan, un-American. They'll call us a threat. The only truth is we are a threat. We're a threat [cheering] to their corrupt system. Okay, just speaking of cherry-picking voters to be in these types of promotions, I want to know what happens behind the scenes when they're choosing who stands behind a candidate.

Do they go, "Okay, we need the black woman. We need the old boomer lady right behind him. We need the massive body positive girl to be behind him holding a sign. We need the Mexican lady over here." I mean, literally, it's like they are casting a Hollywood movie of diversity. I got off on a tangent. That is not actually what I wanted to talk about in regards to that video. Anyway, back to the point, James, you are right.

We are going to call you all of those things because you actually are all of those things. So, you know what? Let's just make it easy. Let's just start with the fake Christian part. Again, I'm not here to debate the Bible or anything, but I would argue that, you know, considering you are a Christian man, a Bible-thumping Christian man, studying at seminary probably shouldn't be following OnlyFans models on Instagram.

And yet, you do that. Per Axios, Talarico follows 10 Instagram accounts of women who are popular porn actors, OnlyFans models, and have accounts on escort sites, according to publicly available accounts viewed by Axios in recent weeks. Real Christian, James. Real Christian. Now, these comments were hilarious. One person said, "To be fair, it would be the first heterosexual thing he's done." Again, major lesbian vibes.

Another guy said, "Queue it up, but Jesus had dinner with prostitutes. Following porn girls is Talarico being decent and just like Jesus." Yeah, I'm sure it's coming if they are not commenting that already. I did see one person comment and say, "Like, shut up. Who cares? I bet all the trad conservative husbands do the same thing. Let him live. This doesn't mean anything." Okay, well, dude, just because other men do it doesn't mean it's right.

That actually means it is a bigger problem. And I know that this is a crazy concept in modern politics, but for an elected official, a representative, somebody more importantly who is leading with his faith, who is plastering Presbyterian seminarian on every single social media bio, on every single webpage, should theoretically be leading by example, should be holding himself to a higher standard. And I would say that if it was somebody on the right, if it was somebody on the left, that is just across the board a standard that you should hold yourself to.

If you are a Christian man, you should not be following only fans models. Crazy idea, I know. But guys, James' affinity for escorts online is just scratching the surface with this man. Colin Rueg on X aptly summed up what Texans are getting themselves into. He wrote, "Democrat and Presbyterian seminarian James Talarico has won the Democratic primary for US Senate. Here are some of his beliefs. Thinks illegal immigrant children are more patriotic than American children.

Thinks the Torah tells you how to give an abortion. Thinks the trans community needs abortion, too. Thinks that there are six genders. Thinks that God is non-binary. Thinks the Bible supports gay marriage. Thinks that Jesus supported abortion because he talked to and was kind to women. Thinks the story of Mary's annunciation is proof that God supports abortion." Oh yeah, but guys, remember, he's not a radical leftist.

Oh, couldn't be him. Could not be him. Messing with that, we cannot accuse him of being a radical leftist. Don't forget it. On that note, this was the most perfect edit. Just watch. They're going to throw everything they have at us. They're going to call me a radical leftist. Our trans community needs abortion care, too. God is non-binary. Modern science obviously recognizes there are many more than two biological sexes.

In fact, there are six. Prison is violence. It's hard to imagine a world without prison. Just because it's hard to imagine doesn't mean you shouldn't. Prison is violence. Yes, the biblical godly thing to do is let rapists and murderers just roam our streets because God forbid we push violence upon them. What is this man doing? Like I'm telling you guys this man is a nut job. Somebody commented and said, "James Talarico's woke Billy Graham stick has the same function as Tim Walls' trans-affirming Elmer Fudd persona.

Democrats desperately want a rural religious-coded white male who can make their most unpopular positions seem American as apple pie. And guess what, guys? It didn't work in 2024 with Tim Walls and his jazz hands. It is not going to work for lesbian-looking Talarico. I am so sorry. Because everyone saw through Tim Walls. And this commenter is not lying whatsoever. Like Tim got on stage after the election and he said the reason why he was picked to be Kamala's running mate was so that he could code speak to the American man.

The man who runs on stage doing jumps and jazz hands was supposed to code speak to my husband? Absolutely not. That was never going to work. Just like this man's facade is fading more rapidly every single day. Anyway, moving on from that. The same guy who is pro-abortion also wants you to know that you cannot be Christian and be okay with greenhouse gases. Just watch. You can't call yourself a Christian and destroy God's creation with greenhouse gases.

Thank you, sir. Thank you so much, sir. In my humble opinion, you also can't call yourself a Christian and be okay with the murder of an unborn child. But hey, what do I know? Clearly, my friend, we are working from completely different premises. Because in his mind, Jesus was actually a radical feminist. Did they teach you in Sunday school that Jesus Christ himself was a radical feminist? Oh yeah, James. Jesus was for sure like slay queen.

Chuck that little crotch goblin and eat the patriarchy. Throw it in the trash. Like what are we doing here, guys? Now the other thing that I want to point out about that radical feminist clip is I just want to zoom in on the crowd here. I did not see a single individual that was under the age of about 55 or 60 years old. He is preaching to a room of boomers. These are not boomers watching Jesse Watters and Fox News.

they're the ones who have MSNBC on loop. These are the boomers who are leaving their retirement homes to don taco outfits to do the no kings protest. That is what we are dealing with here. So, number one, that should be frightening because this is what our grandparents are apparently being preached at church. And number two, how embarrassing is that for progressives? That your primary audience is geriatrics. Anyway, moving on from that, I will say this whole thing really does remind me of an interview that I did recently with a drag queen.

I think it should be coming out this month. We'll see how that goes. It was crazy. But this drag queen, he told me some more things. He was saying, you know, Jesus was queer, Jesus was a feminist, etc., etc. And it's very easy, like for me to sit there and laugh it off as utter absurdity, when the person telling you that who's sitting across from you is a man wearing a mini skirt with a full face of makeup and a wig and like 7-in heels.

But it's a lot harder for people, especially normies who are not chronically online scrolling on X every day like we are, when it is a pastor up at the pulpit preaching, telling them these things. When it is the most normal waspy-looking man alive telling you that Jesus was a radical feminist who wanted abortion for trans people. Like that's insane. And that is why the Democrats are so excited about this man. Because he is a radical leftist going undercover as your average waspy white Joe.

But guys, do not worry, speaking of the whiteness, because he has been actively listening and learning and doing the work. >> For me, prophetic voices like Jesus have helped me reckon with my own whiteness, my own masculinity, my own certainty, my own ego. It's a never-ending process and it's a painful process. >> Ah, yes, the painful process of understanding your whiteness. Thank goodness Jesus is there to walk you through that radical act.

Snaps for you, James. Now, I will say he was even brave enough to admit back in 2020 that his whiteness protected him from COVID. These are real things that he tweeted in 2020. He said, "White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus, but we spread it wherever we go through our words, our actions, and our systems. We don't have to be showing symptoms, like a white hood or a Confederate flag, to be contagious.

Oh, wow, what an analogy for COVID, James. The only cure is diagnosing the virus within ourselves and taking dramatic actions to contain the spread. The first small step is proclaiming loudly and unequivocally that {hashtag} Black Lives Matter. Excellent, James. You're an ally. Thank you so much. Did you enjoy White Fragility? Did you leave a five-star rating on Goodreads? I'm sure you did. Like James, you might even be slimier than Gavin Newsom, and that is saying something.

This might be controversial, but I actually think that Gavin Newsom might be more of a normal moderate guy, but he's been playing the role of this, you know, woke progressive man to stay in power. But honestly, the man just wants power. He just wants to be president, and he's going to say whatever he will have to say to make that happen, which makes him dangerous still. But James seems far more calculated and sinister.

There is something totally off-putting about him. Like I have the heebie-jeebies when I watch any of these sermons. So, seeing these next comments that I'm going to read you actually made me feel good, even though I know it was not the intended effect. People were saying, "James is the literal opposite of Charlie Kirk, and that is a damn great thing. We need to protect this man at all costs." And you need to see, she wrote that 4 days after Charlie was shot in the neck.

Another person said, "The exact opposite of Charlie Kirk." Now, here's the thing, those commenters aren't wrong. James is completely different than Charlie Kirk, and that is a good thing. Because Charlie would run circles around this man in terms of intellect and consistency and faith and family. Charlie was a Christian who did not distort the Bible for his agenda, and his politics and his faith were harmonious. They were not a means to an end, which is so clearly what is happening with James Hal Riker.

James is playing a part. He is playing a role, even down to his ads and the way that he's preaching and the people that he has in the background. It is all an act. And he uses being a Presbyterian seminarian to shield his incredibly radical controversial ideas while playing the role of a moderate Christian everyman. Meanwhile, Democrats everywhere are celebrating him for finally being a real Christian and not cherry-picking politics like the bad conservatives to push his agenda.

But, I mean, come on. Take a look in the damn mirror. That is exactly what he's doing. He has cherry-picked love thy neighbor and essentially ignored every other passage in the whole book. But, considering that the lot of you really only like faith and Christianity when it benefits you in winning new voters, I wouldn't expect you to know that. Big news. We were driving back from church and we looked over and there was a hut full of hay bales.

My mom wants you to have an aesthetically pleasing [music] farm vlog, so you are going to have one.