Fox News host Will Cain abruptly ended an interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico after the Democrat delivered a pointed fact-check during a heated exchange over Republican redistricting efforts.
Talarico, who has emerged as a prominent voice among the Texas Democrats who fled the state to block a GOP-led redistricting vote, appeared on Cain’s program to defend the lawmakers’ decision to leave the Lone Star State.
The group is currently in Illinois, denying the Texas legislature a quorum and halting a vote that could give Republicans as many as five additional U.S. House seats.
My God.@jamestalarico just left a Fox host speechless and forces him to end the interview early after correcting their lies. pic.twitter.com/XQ0nvSaD8U
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) August 12, 2025
The interview quickly turned combative, with Cain accusing Democrats of hypocrisy for criticizing Republicans over redistricting while allegedly engaging in similar tactics themselves.
“In my view, what has happened here is you’ve done something in certain states, and you don’t like it when it’s done in Republican states,” Cain said. “And now you’re saying you’ve done the same thing as us—you’ve done the same thing as us-and we are going to, by the way, if you do it, we’re going to ratchet it up even more, in the words of Gavin Newsom.”
Talarico pushed back, arguing that his party had never gerrymandered in the middle of a decade at the request of the president of the United States. “The only way this is going to happen in blue states is if Texas executes this power grab,” he said.
“You mentioned Massachusetts. Do you know the party of the governor that signed that map into law? He was a Republican. It was a Republican governor that signed that map into law. So I just want to be clear with our facts, and I don’t want to muddy the waters. All of us—whether we’re Democrats, independents, or Republicans—we should stand up to politicians who don’t want to face accountability at the ballot box. That’s exactly what’s happening here. And I asked you if Republican policies are popular, why do they need to redraw these maps? Why can’t they just run on their policies?”
Cain did not address the question directly and instead signaled the interview was over. “I’m getting wrapped on time,” he said, before cutting to the next segment. The abrupt ending quickly drew attention online, with Talarico claiming on social media that the host ended the interview early because he struggled to answer questions about gerrymandering.
Oh James. Trolls distorting the interview is one thing, but you were there. I respectfully gave you ten minutes, an eternity in cable news. And in all that time you had no answer as to why you’ve abandoned your job. You can take a flag to IL but you still cut and run from Texas. https://t.co/LZUycCPw0G
— Will Cain (@willcain) August 12, 2025
Cain later responded on X, accusing Talarico of misrepresenting what happened. “Trolls distorting the interview is one thing, but you were there,” Cain wrote. “I respectfully gave you ten minutes, an eternity in cable news… And in all that time you had no answer as to why you’ve abandoned your job. Stay in Illinois little Jimmy. Better fit for you than TX.”
The clash comes amid a tense standoff in Texas politics. Democrats argue the GOP’s mid-decade redistricting push is an attempt to lock in more seats through partisan gerrymandering, while Republicans maintain it is a fair reflection of the state’s electorate.
Talarico, who has gained national attention following an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, has positioned himself as a key figure in the fight, insisting that Texans of all political stripes should oppose efforts that undermine competitive elections.
The interview and its aftermath reflect the deep partisan divide over voting maps, with both sides accusing the other of undermining democratic norms. For now, the Texas Democrats remain out of state, and the redistricting vote remains stalled.
