MAGA pundit's smirk wiped from his face on CNN: 'Conservative doesn't mean Christian'

A right-wing activist trashed Democratic candidate James Talarico as unelectable in Texas, and a fellow panelist on CNN wiped the smirk from his face.

Anti-trans crusader Terry Schilling ticked off a litany of gender-coded reasons that Talarico, a state representative and former educator, could not defeat scandal-plagued Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, as "CNN This Morning" host Audie Cornish laughed.

"We've been told in2008, in 2014 and 2020, and nowin 2026, that Texas is going toturn purple and then turn blue," Schilling said. "It's just not going tohappen, the demographics aren'tthere. The state is veryconservative. It's Christian-oriented, and with Talarico, youhave a candidate – I know, I knowyou you're shocked that they're using tofu against him.But this is Texas, and I'vespent a lot of time in Texas andinvest a lot of money in Texaselections. That's actuallydevastating for him."

"You needsomeone, if the Democrats reallywanted to take out any Republican in that state, Ted Cruz or even Paxton, they wouldnominate an oil man," Schilling added. "They wouldnominate someone that's outthere working on the oil rigs,not some leftist professor orleftist teacher from from Austin who says that the incarnation of Christ justifies abortion. It's crazy."

Through her laughter, Cornish took note of the language Schilling used to attack Talarico.

"All your fighting words, 'Austin,' 'teacher' – yuck," Cornish chuckled. "Texas isthe white whale for Democrats.Also true, Trump-backedcandidates that didn't do sowell in a state like Georgia, asouthern state where maybe the Democrats, the demographicsweren't supposed to work out inhis favor, and now there are Democratic senators there. So do Democrats feel like this is theyear?"

Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright addressed Schilling's smears before answering the host's question.

"Conservative does not mean Christian," Seawright said, as Schilling grinned. "GOP does not mean 'God's only party.' I want tojust say that to my dear friendto my right here."

Schilling's grin faded at the confrontation, and Seawright turned his attention to the general election matchup.

"Politicsis a game of matchups, and whenyou have an indictedelection denier who helped leadthe effort to overturn the 2020election and someone who isimpeached, I think we welcomethat to the conversation," he said. "Ithink that Democrats are well-positioned to take advantage ofa very fertile environment, notonly because Republicans havefailed in Washington, but also,I think people in Texas arefeeling the residue of thefailed leadership in Washington, and I think that matters inthis environment."

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