Texas Take

An Exclusive With the National Republican Party Chairman Gruters

The leader of the Republican National Committee knows he will have to defy history to defend President Donald Trump in Texas and beyond as Democrats vow to retake control of the U.S. House. In an exclusive interview with Texas Take host Jeremy Wallace, RNC chair Joe Gruters said he knows almost every president over the 150 years has lost seats in Congress during midterm elections. But the GOP has to overcome the odds in order to save Trump from an endless stream of investigations and impeachment hearings during his final two years in office. “We have no other option. We have to win,” Gruters said. A big part of that mission is Texas. With the GOP national convention scheduled for Houston in 2028 and a potential midterm convention in Dallas this year, Gruters has been in Texas a lot, preparing to fight Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico and other threats to Trump’s legacy up and down the ballot in the Lone Star State. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Monster, Snubs and Japanese Anime

Did Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott just get snubbed by CPAC in their own backyard? Houston Chronicle reporter Benjamin Wermund joins this week's episode to explain why the crowd favored JD Vance and Marco Rubio over either. Plus with gas prices climbing, Trump voters may be paying more at the pump. In Midland and Odessa, people are pay much more for a gallon of gas than those in Houston, Dallas or Austin - all places Kamala Harris carried in 2024. And host Jeremy Wallace has seen far too many Godzilla movies. He explains why a congressional hearing about deep-sea mining operations of the Gulf Coast has him worried about what lurks beneath the waves. Finally State Sen. Nathan Johnson joins the program for an exclusive one-on-one to talk about his campaign for attorney general, his double life writing music for Dragon Ball Z and his concern over the calcification of power in the governor's office that he says would have alarmed the framers of the Texas Constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Why are would-be presidential candidates making a beeline for Texas

Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, are worlds apart politically, but this week both were in the Lone Star State on a similar mission: win over Texans who could become critical if they both run for the White House in 2028. Gallego sits down with host Jeremy Wallace for an exclusive interview in San Antonio, where he says his message is as simple as can be: “no stupid wars, focus on the homeland.” His target audience in the Alamo City was clear: Latinos and veterans. Plus, University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus explains that it’s not just Texas BBQ bringing would-be presidential candidates to Texas. He explains why the state is such a proving ground for candidates of both parties. Also, Austin American-Statesman political reporter John Moritz drops in to relay what Democrat James Talarico said in response to a Tennessee pastor who called for God to kill him. All that, plus Conroe’s Parker McCollum, shows how a Houston rodeo concert is supposed to end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Long Wait for Trump’s Texas Senate Endorsement

The longer President Donald Trump drags out his endorsement of either Sen. John Cornyn or Ken Paxton, the more it is costing GOP donors as the two Senate combatants continue to throw money at each other instead of turning their attention to Democrat James Talarico. Host Jeremy Wallace breaks down the latest in the drama to court Trump’s political love. Plus, what exactly did James Talarico say about veganism that has Republicans vowing to defend BBQ? Finally, Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar force their way onto the show by verbally sparring in the pickup line at the airport – all in front of Wallace. The reason? Who is to blame for long TSA lines at airports around the nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Wild 2026 Texas Primary: What Happened and Why

Texas shattered voting turnout records in a wild primary season that saw James Talarico defeat Jasmine Crockett, and Sen. John Cornyn pushed into a runoff election with Ken Paxton. Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News and John Moritz of the Austin American-Statesman join host Jeremy Wallace to break down all the results including hot races for Congress, the Texas Legislature and statewide offices. Plus, Bayliss Wagner of the San Antonio Express-News joins with the latest on U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose career in Congress will be coming to an end after he confirmed that he had an affair with a staffer who later died after setting herself on fire. Finally, Wallace looks at how President Donald Trump used a stop in Corpus Christi to tout gas prices being down 10 cents, only to see them shoot up 20 cents days later after he ordered the attack on Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]