Can Democrats Actually Win in Texas?

About this episode

David Frum discusses Texas politics and the implications of the upcoming Senate primary with Beto O’Rourke, alongside commentary on national security issues.

On this week’s episode of “The David Frum Show,” The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with his thoughts on Kristi Noem’s removal as head of the Department of Homeland Security. David warns that the chaos at the department, combined with President Trump’s demand that the SAVE Act be passed before he will sign any budget for DHS, could endanger Americans as the U.S. wages war against Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Then David is joined by former Representative Beto O’Rourke to discuss the hotly contested 2026 Senate primary in Texas between James Talarico and Representative Jasmine Crockett. Frum and O’Rourke discuss what this race means for the future of the Democratic Party, why Texas Democrats always seem to fall short of victory, and the importance of the Texas Senate race for control of the chamber. Finally, David is joined by Samuel Fleischacker, a philosophy professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” and discuss how Smith would fit in politically today. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices when you subscribe. You’ll enjoy unlimited access to Pulitzer-winning…

People in this episode

Host: David Frum

Guest: Beto O’Rourke

Topics covered

• Texas politics
• Democratic Party
• 2026 Senate primary
• Beto O'Rourke
• Adam Smith
• Department of Homeland Security
• Trump administration

Keywords

• Texas
• Democrats
• Senate primary
• Beto O'Rourke
• Kristi Noem
• Department of Homeland Security
• Adam Smith
• Trump
• Iran
• The Wealth of Nations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Department of Homeland Security, The Atlantic, University of Illinois at Chicago

Books & works: The Wealth of Nations

Places: Texas, U.S., Iran

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