Ken Paxton Trashed on Joe Rogan as Talarico Soars in Texas Polls - Newsweek
Conservative comedian Ron White has launched a scathing attack on Texas Republican Ken Paxton during an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, calling the attorney general a "piece of s***" as Democrat James Talarico gains momentum in polling and election forecasts.
The viral exchange was particularly notable because it unfolded on one of the country's most influential podcasts and in Rogan's adopted home state of Texas, where Paxton is locked in an increasingly competitive Senate race.
Newsweek reached out to Paxton and White for comment.
In Joe Rogan’s 2,555th episode of his web podcast, comic White hit out at Paxton, who is the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas.
“He’s a criminal,” White said. “Just a piece of s***.”
White accused Paxton of abusing his office and pointed to the Texas attorney general's impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023—though the Senate ultimately acquitted Paxton—arguing that taxpayers ultimately bore the cost of litigation stemming from allegations against him.
Rogan went on to say that he was shocked by Talarico being ahead in the polling, but White snapped back: "I'm not. I think that people are sick of what's going on right now in Texas. They've been in control for 30 years. What have they given us? Let somebody else f****** drive.”
While Paxton has long been a target of Democratic criticism, White's comments were notable because they came from a conservative comedian appearing on one of the country's most influential podcasts. The exchange suggests Paxton is facing scrutiny from parts of the broader conservative media ecosystem as well as from his political opponents.
Rogan himself moved to Texas in 2020 and remains especially influential among his listeners. His podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, tends to avoid a right wing label, but often features right-leaning and populist perspectives.
The podcast was the most-listened-to show among weekly podcasts in the U.S. for the first quarter of 2026, according to Edison Research, while previous reporting from the group said that the audience is 80 percent male and more than 51 percent made up of those aged 18-34.
Earlier this week, Paxton’s campaign launched its first substantial broadcast ad buy of the general election as polling begins to close the gap between the two candidates.
The latest VoteHub forecast rates Democrat Talarico as the slight favorite in the race, giving him a 58.2 percent chance of victory compared with 41.8 percent for Paxton. The model estimates Talarico winning roughly 50.8 percent of the vote to Paxton's 49.4 percent.
Another polling survey released by The Hill/Emerson College Polling this week put the pair neck-and-neck with 47 percent of state voters supporting Talarico and 46 percent backing Paxton.
Meanwhile, prediction market Kalshi gives the Democrat a 54 percent chance over Paxton’s 47 percent.
A Democratic victory would mark one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 election cycle in a state that has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in decades.
Democrat candidate Talarico has served since 2018 as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. Upon announcing his decision to run in the 2026 general election, he said: “We’re underdogs in this fight. We’re going up against these 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.”
Republican Paxton has served as the 51st attorney general of Texas since 2015. In recently released campaign materials he has touted support for tax deductions on things including down payments on homes or health insurance premiums in a bid to make life “affordable for Texans.”
The latest forecasts nonetheless suggest the race remains highly competitive, with Talarico holding a narrow advantage in several models as Paxton works to maintain Republican control of the seat.
