After Democrat Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s gushy town hall on CNN, Thursday’s CNN This Morning host Audie Cornish tried to minimize the focus on Talarico’s previous comments, especially when he said “God is non-binary.” Cornish first defended Talarico’s comments by complaining about advertisements using his past comments, as she said many “random sentences” from sermons she has heard over the years “would sound crazy.”
She introduced the Talarico town hall and seemed to complain that Talarico was “still answering” questions “for comments he made five years ago.”
Cornish continued and said, “He was again pressed on his mixing of religion and politics. His now infamous "God is binary" remarks have been at the center of attack ads against him.” She then claimed, “Last night he looked to clear some things up.”
After the CNN Town Hall, Audie Cornish defended James Talarico and his previous “God is non-binary" comments and said, "If I took random sentences out of every sermon I've heard in the last 20 years on Sunday, they also would sound crazy, like this is part of the whole system of… pic.twitter.com/pwaEiGaylR
— Nick (@nspin310) October 15, 2026
At the town hall, Talarico defended the comments himself by only saying, “I was being provocative, nd I want to admit that and come clean about that. When told by an attendee, “I think we have to be careful using modern cultural terms when talking about God,” Talarico responded, “Sure. I think that is very fair criticism.”
Much of the town hall went on without Talarico being challenged on his flip-flops throughout his campaign, which was described by NewsBusters’ Jorge Bonilla as a “free pass” for Talarico.
But Cornish still jumped in to defend Talarico and his sermons, which included him calling God non-binary:
I wanted to talk about this, because if I took random sentences out of every sermon I've heard in the last 20 years on Sunday, they also would sound crazy.
Cornish continued, “Like, this is part of the whole system of sermons, and parables, and talking, and parsing out things about God, in fact, in modern language.” She added that the “crazy” things were “kind of the vibe” of many sermons.
Axios’s Alex Thompson began with some agreement with Cornish and said, “It's true. I will say what's interesting, lots of crazy things are said from the pulpit.”
But then he shifted to admit that many people who have the “pulpit” of sermons “don't necessarily run for public office and aren't also filmed saying those things.”
Thompson also noted the prevalence of ads against Talarico using his crazy comments on God:
If you go to Texas right now, you cannot go to any sports bar without seeing ads with that quote about - "God is non-binary," "There are six genders."
Cornish then complained about AI ads about Talarico and said, “With an AI image of him scrawling in a bible. Yeah, yeah.” Thompson responded, “But most of the ads just feature the film of him - saying it.”
“And the reason for that is because Talarico's, you know, main electability argument, when he got in this race is that he could reach those religious voters in Texas, “ he added
Cornish’s attempt to minimize and defend Talarico’s comments on God acted the same way as the CNN Talarico Town Hall that promoted his Senate campaign with little to no pushback to anything he said.
The transcript is below. Click "expand":
CNN This Morning
October 15, 2026
6:11:52 AM Eastern
AUDIE CORNISH: So, we're just weeks out from the midterms, and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is still answering for comments he made five years ago.
Appearing in a joint town hall hosted by CNN and Jubilee, he was again pressed on his mixing of religion and politics. His now infamous "God is binary" remarks have been at the center of attack ads against him. Last night he looked to clear some things up.
[Cuts to video]
JAMES TALARICO (D- TX, SENATE CANDIDATE): The first comment about -- about God not being defined by gender, when I said that, I was being provocative, nd I want to admit that and come clean about that.
But I think what I was saying is actually not controversial theologically, the idea that we can't define God using human categories.
Yes, I was doing it maybe in an annoying way. I can admit that.
TOWN HALL ATTENDEE: I think we have to be careful using modern cultural terms -
TALARICO: Sure.
TOWN HALL ATTENDEE: - when talking about God.
TALARICO: Sure. I think that is very fair criticism.
[Cuts back to live]
CORNISH: Group chat is back. I wanted to talk about this, because if I took random sentences out of every sermon I've heard in the last 20 years on Sunday, they also would sound crazy.
Like, this is part of the whole system of sermons, and parables, and talking, and parsing out things about God, in fact, in modern language. That is kind of the -- the vibe. But I want to hear from other people who maybe aren't sitting through sermons.
ALEX THOMPSON: I mean, as someone that sat through so many sermons growing up, and I don't mean that facetiously.
CORNISH: Yes, yes, yes.
THOMPSON: It's true. I will say what's interesting, lots of crazy things are said from the pulpit.
CORNISH: Yes.
THOMPSON: But also, a lot of people that are in the pulpit don't necessarily run for public office and aren't also filmed saying those things.
And Ken Paxton has made this the center of and, and like, the national Republican super PACs have made this the center of their attacks on Talarico.
If you go to Texas right now, you cannot go to any sports bar without seeing ads with that quote about -
CORNISH: About it, yes.
THOMPSON: - "God is non-binary," "There are six genders."
CORNISH: With an A.I. image of him scrawling in a Bible. Yes, yes.
THOMPSON: I mean, that was one of the web ads, as well. But most of the ads just feature the film of -
CORNISH: Quotes.
THOMPSON: Yes, film saying it. And the reason for that is because Talarico's, you know, main electability argument, when he got in this race is that he could reach those religious voters in Texas.
CORNISH: Yes. I, a seminarian -
THOMPSON: Yes.
CORNISH: - can have this conversation.
I want to talk about that, because we've talked on this show about the number of people who are faith leaders who are running on the Democratic side; and whether or not that is a shift for the party.
Are we seeing what happens now that those folks are stepping forward? On the liberal side of things, that they're still vulnerable?
YASMIN RADJY: I mean, I think Ken Paxton is the -- it's the least -- he's the least popular Republican running this cycle. And James Talarico, it's no accident he's such a great communicator. Right?
I think he, Raphael Warnock, two women running in Iowa. We've got clergy and seminarians running all across the country; and Kansas, as well.
I think people want to hear from people who can connect their values.
CORNISH: Yes, but is the left ready to have a conversation with the right, which -- with the religious right and its ability to talk in public spaces, to be the bedrock of its party. They are much more skilled at having this conversation in a general election space.
RADJY: I don't think that's true. I think that we've got -- faith has been a part of Democratic politics forever. We've had -- you know, the black church was at this cornerstone of progressive organizing and continues to be.
I think it is a misnomer to say that Democrats don't integrate faith into how we talk about things.
And if we want to look at a party that is out of step with religious people, the Republican Party is. I mean, Donald Trump is the opposite of everything that any person of faith claims to be.
CORNISH: Yes. We have heard something like that before.
(...)
