Zach ‘The Kid’ Maxwell

Bill Maher opens the floodgates when he asks, “Why?” James Talarico is a “very weird dude.” Ted Cruz spends the next 2 full minutes going down the list. Maher gives Talarico the benefit of the doubt until the “I really love trans children” quote drops. Then he folds. CRUZ: “I’m not going to convince you to love Ken Paxton. But you got to admit, Talarico, I think, is a very weird dude.” MAHER: “Why?” CRUZ: “Because he is like the ultimate woke social justice warrior. This is a guy who stands in front of a church... he says God is non-binary. He says there’s six genders. He stands in front of a church and says he weeps for his whiteness and weeps for his masculinity.” MAHER: “That’s just weird. That is weird. I couldn’t agree with you more.” KID ROCK: “Maybe he’s gay.” MAHER: “What?” KID ROCK: “Maybe he’s just gay.” MAHER: “But why are we inferring — because he thinks Jesus is non-binary, which I don’t think he means as —” [Kid Rock’s face isn’t buying a word of Maher’s explanation] KID ROCK: “I know what he meant!” MAHER: “What do you think he meant?” KID ROCK: “Yeah, he’s trying to go into this whole ‘what’s a woman.’ Like, are we really talking about this 250 years later?” MAHER: “No, I just think — look, I don’t know that much about it, but I have heard those quotes. I think what he meant by the Jesus is non-binary thing is that, you know, there are a lot of people who believe in God. I mean, your whole album is about Jesus, but in a more sort of ethereal way, more spiritual way. You know, he’s not the man in the sky with the beard, that kind of thing.” CRUZ: “So Bill, all of these, he’s on video. He was asked, ‘Who do you really love?’ And his answer is, ‘Trans children.’ Well, I don’t know anyone else who would answer that question that way.” MAHER: “Is that the full answer?” CRUZ: “Yes, I promise you. You can pull up the video. He was asked, ‘Who do you really love?’ And he pauses and thinks and says, ‘I really love trans children.’ ... He also says on video that his objective is to, quote, ‘dismantle capitalism.’” MAHER: “Look, I am not for any of that sh*t.” CONTEXT: Talarico really did say it. On a 2023 podcast, he was asked what he loves other than family and friends, and his answer was the “trans children” who had rallied at the Texas Capitol the day before.