Maher Tries To Defend Talarico's Comments About God Being Non-Binary

HBO's Bill Maher tried to defend Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's remarks about God being non-binary during Friday's Real Time Overtime segment. Maher claimed that Talarico was simply referring to God in "a sort of, like, ethereal way," but that is not what Talarico was doing.

Maher began by asking Sen. Ted Cruz, "Your guy in Texas running there, what do you think of him? He seems to be sort of a malfeasant fuck. Am I wrong?"

Cruz conceded, "Look, I'm not gonna convince you to love Ken Paxton," but urged Maher to take a closer look at Talarico, "but you got to admit, Talarico, I think, is a very weird dude. Because he is like the ultimate woke social justice warrior. This is a, this is a guy who stands in front of a church—"

Singer Kid Rock then interrupted to add that Talarico "thinks Jesus has multiple genders."

On Real Time Overtime, after Bill Maher mocked Ken Paxton, Sen. Ted Cruz had to explain James Talarico’s far-left views, calling him “the ultimate woke social justice warrior.”

Maher defended the “God is non-binary” comments before admitting Cruz was “right,” but added, “I just… pic.twitter.com/KjkH8PYi8w

— Nick (@nspin310) October 31, 2026

Cruz then continued by clarifying that Talarico was referring to the first person of the Trinity in his remarks, while adding some of Talarico's other beliefs to the conversation, "Yeah. 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. That's just weird."

Maher then tried to defend the remarks about God being non-binary while admitting that he was not the best person to comment on the subject, "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, like, ethereal way, more spiritual way. Like it's not, as you know, He's not the man in the sky with the beard, you know, that kind of thing."

In his actual remarks, Talarico was not trying to debunk the idea that God the Father is a man in the sky with a beard. He was using politicized gender language to claim, "God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is non-binary" during a political debate on transgender sports. Theologically, the fact that God refers to himself as Father proves that He is trying to teach us something about Himself. If God wanted us to think of Him as "non-binary," He would use a different metaphor.

Cruz also added, "Bill, all of these, he's on video. He was asked, who do you really love? And his answer is trans children. I don't know anyone else who would answer that question that way. And it's, you know, he is—"

As Maher wondered if that was "the full answer," Cruz affirmed that it was and declared, "This is a guy who has voted repeatedly, like, that's — and part of it is he's of a younger generation where he came of age during COVID lockdowns during all of this woke radical stuff."

After some clarification that Cruz meant that politically and not literally, Cruz also mentioned "He also says on video that his objective is to quote, 'dismantle capitalism."

Maher concluded by admitting Cruz was right, but he still admitted to liking Talarico more than Paxton, "You're right. I just think your guy is even worse."

Back in May, Maher declared the Texas Senate race to be between "Attila the Hun" and "a nice guy" who "seemed very reasonable."

Here is a transcript for the October 30 show:

HBO Real Time with Bill Maher Overtime

10/30/2026

BILL MAHER: Your guy in Texas running there, what do you think of him? He seems to be sort of a malfeasant fuck. Am I wrong?

TED CRUZ: Look, I'm not gonna convince you to love Ken Paxton—

MAHER: No, you're—

CRUZ: — 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, this is a guy who stands in front of a church—

KID ROCK: Thinks Jesus has multiple genders.

CRUZ: Yeah. 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. That's just weird.

MAHER: That is weird. It's, I couldn't agree with you more.

KID ROCK: Maybe he's just gay.

MAHER: What?

KID ROCK: Maybe he's just gay.

CRUZ: That'd be easier to say, but, instead he doesn't say that.

MAHER: But why are we inferring because he thinks Jesus is non-binary, which I don't think he means as—

KID ROCK: I know what he meant.

MAHER: What do you think he meant?

KID ROCK: He's trying to go into this whole, what's a woman? Like it's like—

MAHER: No, I just think he meant—

KID ROCK: I'm like, are we really talking about this 250 years later?

MAHER: No, I just think he — I —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, like, ethereal way, more spiritual way. Like it's not, as you know, He's not the man in the sky with the beard, you know, 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.

MAHER: Well.

CRUZ: I don't know anyone else who would answer that question that way. And it's, you know, he is—

MAHER: Is that the full answer.

KID ROCK: All children could be the answer?

CRUZ: Yes, I promise you can pull up the video. He was asked, who, who do you really love? And he pauses and thinks and says, "I really love trans children."

This is a guy who has voted repeatedly, like, that's — and part of it is he's of a younger generation where he came of age during COVID lockdowns during all of this woke radical stuff.

MAHER: No, he didn't come of age during COVID lockdowns. He's 40.

CRUZ: Politically. No, he's like 35. Politically he was a state legislator.

MAHER: It was five years ago. Come of age means he was — he wasn't 14.

CRUZ: Well, he still looks like he's 14.

MAHER: Okay.

CRUZ: He also says on video that his objective is to quote, "dismantle capitalism."

MAHER: Yeah, that's good. Look, I am not for any of that shit.

CRUZ: I know.

MAHER: You're right. I just think your guy is even worse. All right.