Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On Thursday's The 11th Hour on MS NOW, liberal comedian and frequent guest John Fugelsang declared that Christ's teachings are not compatible with the Republican party and claimed that liberal Christians like Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico are the ones actually following Christian teachings.
Here's Fugelsang: "James Talarico is someone who is saying Christians should follow the teachings of Christ. Ken Paxton is biting the heads off of live, screaming, bleeding angels. ... You don't need to believe in the Bible as literal fact to say, if you're a Christian, the teachings of Christ are not compatible with the modern Republican."
His comments came during a discussion of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) giving a speech at the recent Republican convention in which he spoke out against the use of shariah law in the U.S. The MS NOW host commented: "My one beef, of course, is that sharia is law. So sharia law is kind of saying like Naan bread and Chai tea and tuna fish. But that said ... sharia and communists and all this, this has become, John, it's become quite a thing in Texas."
As Fugelsang agreed, Velshi continued: "This Islamic threat thing has become a huge thing that they talk about all the time. I don't know if you've been to Texas lately, but the whole thing is one big one big Islamic place."
Fugelsang then blamed conservatives for ruining every religion:
Oh, yeah. They really, really care about a separation of mosque and state, don't they? That's important. This is the essence of fundamentalism. ... it's the right wing of every religion that's ruining every religion. It is the extreme fundamentalist Muslims and Jews and Christians that are ruining the brand of Islam, Judaism -- Chr- -- and it's not the liberal and moderate Christians, Muslims and Jews. They're doing just fine going to schools together.
He added:
FUGELSANG: It's not the liberal and moderate and conservative Muslims and Jews oppressing women, being cruel to gay people, having the sex hang ups, thinking violence is okay if my side does it. Ted said one thing true -- sharia law is illegal because of that separation of church and state that they so despise.
VELSHI: Yes.
FUGELSANG: Of course they really want to have what I call "Scalia law," which is extreme fundamentalist, conservative Christian government.
After claiming that there were audience members at the convention who allegedly called for violence against several Democrats whose names were mentioned, Fugelsang concluded:
I'm writing my next book about the history of revoltingly fake Christianity. The formula is this: Step one, you use Jesus's name to get power. Step two, with that power, you do the opposite of what Jesus teaches. And step three, if someone points out step two, you scream persecution.
James Talarico is someone who is saying Christians should follow the teachings of Christ. Ken Paxton is biting the heads off of live, screaming, bleeding angels. And this is the test before Christians of Texas. You don't need to believe in the Bible as literal fact to say, if you're a Christian, the teachings of Christ are not compatible with the modern Republican.
Transcript follows:
MS NOW's The 11th Hour
September 10, 2026
11:22 p.m. Eastern
ALI VELSHI: Put a lot in there. My one beef, of course, is that sharia is law. So sharia law is kind of saying like Naan bread and Chai tea and tuna fish. But that said -- but that said, sharia and communists and all this, this has become, John, it's become quite a thing in Texas.
JOHN FUGELSANG: Oh, yes.
VELSHI: This, this, this Islamic threat thing has become a huge thing that they talk about all the time.
FUGELSANG: Yes.
VELSHI: I don't know if you've been to Texas lately, but the whole thing is one big --
FUGELSANG: I love Texas very much, but, yeah.
VELSHI: -- one big Islamic place.
FUGELSANG: Oh, yeah. They really, really care about a separation of mosque and state, don't they? That's important. This is the essence of fundamentalism. Our -- look, it's the right wing of every religion that's ruining every religion. It is the extreme fundamentalist Muslims and Jews and Christians that are ruining the brand of Islam, Judaism -- Chr- -- and it's not the liberal and moderate Christians, Muslims and Jews. They're doing just fine going to schools together.
VELSHI: Come to New York -- they live kind of next to each other.
FUGELSANG: Come to New York -- getting along just fine right now. It's not the liberal and moderate and conservative Muslims and Jews oppressing women, being cruel to gay people, having the sex hang ups, thinking violence is okay if my side does it. Ted said one thing true -- sharia law is illegal because of that separation of church and state that they so despise.
VELSHI: Yes.
FUGELSANG: Of course they really want to have what I call "Scalia law," which is extreme fundamentalist, conservative Christian government. But, at the end of the day, Ted gave another part of the speech where he was talking about el-Sayed and talking about Mamdani --
VELSHI: Yes.
FUGELSANG: -- and Talarico, and the crowd began chanting to commit acts of violence against these people. This is the one-year anniversary of Mr. Kirk.
VELSHI: Yeah.
FUGELSANG: -- and -- and they were calling merrily for violence against people -- two Muslims, one Christian. I'm writing my next book about the history of revoltingly fake Christianity. The formula is this: Step one, you use Jesus's name to get power. Step two, with that power, you do the opposite of what Jesus teaches. And step three, if someone points out step two, you scream persecution. James Talarico is someone who is saying Christians should follow the teachings of Christ. Ken Paxton is biting the heads off of live, screaming, bleeding angels. And this is the test before Christians of Texas. You don't need to believe in the Bible as literal fact to say, if you're a Christian, the teachings of Christ are not compatible with the modern Republican.
