“What an absolutely brainless argument” — Melanie King reacts to James Talarico’s statement about selective Voter ID recognition in Texas 

YouTuber Melanie King recently slammed James Talarico for his statement about selective Voter ID recognition in Texas, calling him someone who has "just finished his freshman year in civics class."

On the July 18 episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, the Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives argued that the state is likely the "hardest place to vote" in the U.S. due to the "paperwork, the requirements, [and] the hoops you got to jump through."

He explained that Texas does not have "online voter registration," unlike many other U.S. states, despite the growing necessity for it due to high usage of online services.

James Talarico added that the voter ID requirements for registering to vote are very selective in Texas, emphasizing that a student ID from a college or university does not count as valid ID. Instead, one needs a driver's license or passport, which many people do not possess.

"But again, I didn't have a passport for most of my life, right? I didn't travel outside the country till I was in my 30s, and so I didn't have a passport. A lot of people don't have a driver's license, especially older folks. So the point is that these rules get added on top of each other and make it even more difficult," James Talarico stated.

However, in her YouTube video dated July 25, Melanie King criticized James's argument, calling it "brainless."

"What an absolutely brainless argument," she said.

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Melanie King dismisses James Talarico's argument as "the dumbest take ever"

Furthermore, in the commentary video, Melanie King strongly criticized James Talarico's stance that Texas's selective voter ID laws contribute to "voter suppression," calling it the "dumbest" take on the issue.

"He's claiming that Texas not allowing people to vote with student IDs is somehow this great voter suppression. Somehow, this is racist. It's evil. It's a full-blown attack on democracy. Guys, this is one of the dumbest takes I have ever heard. Okay? This guy is an absolute idiot. I don't care how articulate he is. I don't care how he explains it," she said.

She further argued that James' stance is "insulting," suggesting that "black people" are incapable of obtaining a "state-issued ID," as if they are "too poor, too ignorant of the process."

"Like the argument on its face, if you peel back the layers when they say this is voter suppression and somehow it's racist, it shows the real racism. That's how bad it is," King added.

Melanie King further countered James Talarico's argument that a student ID from a college or university should count as valid voter ID. She pointed out that student IDs are not state IDs and cannot be used for voter ID purposes, as they do not confirm U.S. citizenship.

She also stated that student IDs do not confirm legal residency in the state, a requirement for voting in both state and federal elections. King added that there is "no standardization," "no formal vetting process," or "oversight" with these IDs as they are issued by schools, not the government.

Further challenging James Talarico's stance, Melanie remarked:

"Four, they contain almost no real identifying information. No legal name, no birth date, no expiration date. Some don't even have photos. And then five, they're incredibly easy to forge, okay, because they're not registered into any voter system. Six, no physical address is required, which is a crucial requirement in order to determine district eligibility."

Melanie added:

"Seven, they're not accepted for any legal or financial transactions. When you go to the bank to get a mortgage or anything else, a student ID is not going to get you far."

The YouTuber further argued that allowing student IDs as valid voter identification is akin to using a Facebook employee badge to vote in Texas, even if the person is not a U.S. citizen.

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The full conversation between James Talarico and Joe Rogan is available on Rogan's official YouTube channel.