# The Great Texas Showdown: Faith, Fraud, and Fascists

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-john-fugelsang-podcast-1172468/the-great-texas-showdown-faith-fraud-and-fascists
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-john-fugelsang-podcast-1172468/the-great-texas-showdown-faith-fraud-and-fascists.md
Podcast: [The John Fugelsang Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-john-fugelsang-podcast-1172468)
Published: 2026-05-28T18:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/beb84d94-2347-451d-8c2f-aef5c1085523.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
Audio file: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/beb84d94-2347-451d-8c2f-aef5c1085523.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-john-fugelsang-podcast-1172468/episodes/the-great-texas-showdown-faith-fraud-and-fascists
Duration seconds: 5250

## Resource

John's monologue focuses on the recent Texas Senate race and the surprising nomination of Ken Paxton, a man embroiled in scandal yet embraced by Texas Republicans. John explores the absurdity of a political system that rewards corruption while contrasting Paxton's candidacy with that of his opponent, James Talarico, a compassionate and principled candidate who embodies the values the GOP claims to uphold. Next, he speaks with podcast star and political commentator Bob Cesca. They chat about issues of healthcare, capitalism, and the moral responsibilities of caring leaders in a democracy. And then finally, John welcomes back The God Squad: theologians Desimber Rose and Dylan Nabor Cruz, who discuss the implications of Paxton's nomination for both Texas and the national political scene. They tackle the intersection of faith and politics, dissecting how the Republican Party has co-opted religious rhetoric to justify their actions while losing sight of the core values of empathy and service. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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## Transcript

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