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IrelandTalarico tells Musk: "Texas is not for sale"
The senator-elect's CBS Mornings interview moves from campaign spending to an undecided leadership vote and his plans for Texas energy.
CBS Mornings
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 922,540 views a day, 71 times a normal first day on this channel (13,004).
James Talarico's message to Elon Musk after flipping Texas Senate seat
Things we can learn from the video
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- 0:39Talarico sets out priorities including public education, healthcare and removing big money from politics.
- 2:00Asked about Musk's reported spending against him, Talarico says Texas is not for sale.
- 4:08He argues for loving one's neighbors and moving beyond partisan division.
- 5:40He will meet Senate leadership candidates, including Schumer, before deciding whom to support.
- 6:12His energy strategy combines oil and gas jobs with wind, solar and geothermal power.
James Talarico has won the Senate seat, but he isn't ready to promise anyone his vote for Democratic leader. Speaking from Austin on CBS Mornings, the Texas senator-elect says he will meet the candidates, including Chuck Schumer, before deciding whom to support.
The interview's sharpest message, though, is directed at Elon Musk. Asked about the billionaire's reported spending against him, Talarico says, "Texas is not for sale." Later, he adds: "Well, I think he wanted his very own personal senator."
CBS displays more than $150 million in Musk donations during its discussion of the race. Talarico, who defeated Republican Ken Paxton, presents the result as evidence that money cannot determine what Texans choose.
The exchange drew nearly 700,000 views before its first day was over, far beyond the channel's usual opening-day audience. It was part of a busy election morning for CBS Mornings: its report on Democrats taking Congress and its interview with Georgia governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms also attracted unusually large audiences.
There is a lighter pause when Gayle King comments on Talarico's hoarse voice and references Ella Langley's song "choosing Texas." But the conversation returns to how he intends to govern: public education, healthcare and reducing big money's influence in politics.
On energy, he makes an explicit case for keeping oil and gas jobs alongside wind, solar and geothermal development. His proposed approach is "all-of-the-above," rather than asking Texas to choose between its established industries and other sources of power.
A Texas Democrat and educator who is the state's U.S. senator-elect. He has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2018.
More on Wikipedia ›A Democratic U.S. senator from New York who leads the Senate Democrats. He has been Senate minority leader since 2025.
More on Wikipedia ›Texas's Republican attorney general since 2015. He was his party's nominee in the state's 2026 U.S. Senate election.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
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- Channel
- CBS Mornings
- Subscribers
- 3,330,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 8,833,696
- Channel views, pace per day
- 1,360,869 (on a normal day: 984,826)
- Video published
- November 4, 2026
- Video views so far
- 697,697 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 922,540
The numbers
Talarico's interview drew an unusually large early audience, alongside several other widely watched CBS Mornings election segments.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which country singer's song does Gayle King reference during the interview?
King references Ella Langley's song "choosing Texas" while speaking with Talarico.