KSEV Mornings · October 28, 2026 · Hour 2
Mike Waltz’s shouting match with Cuba at the UN, how Republicans should talk about transgender issues and the economy, and callers on classrooms and diesel prices.
“This isn’t Havana.” U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz’s clash with Cuba’s foreign minister at the United Nations led Wednesday’s second hour of KSEV Mornings, and Craig Coglianese loved it. Craig and Wayne Dolcefino also took on how Republicans talk about transgender issues and the economy, and callers weighed in on classrooms, diesel prices and the Senate.
Mike Waltz: “This isn’t Havana”
During Tuesday’s General Assembly debate on the U.S. embargo of Cuba, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla came toward the podium while Waltz was speaking. “Back up, ambassador. Back away. This isn’t Havana,” Waltz told him, and the Assembly president briefly suspended the meeting. On Wednesday the Assembly voted 130-17, with 25 abstentions, to condemn the embargo, with more countries than last year siding with the U.S. or sitting it out.
Craig played the audio. “He’s awesome. I think Mike Waltz is great in how he handled that,” Craig said. “I really, really like that.” Wayne agreed: “Look, I like public officials who defend America.”
Sugar-free parties
Wayne said Israel’s elections, where governments are built out of coalitions, are a reminder of how messy more than two parties can get. Craig’s problem with most third-party candidates is that they’re “basically the sugar-free version of Republican or Democrat” instead of “a truly down-the-middle voice.” His example was Kanye West, who he said mostly agreed with what Trump wanted to do.
Does the transgender message land?
Craig said the left’s position, “that a child can cognitively decide that their body should be medically changed,” is “insane.” His question was about messaging. Since only a small share of kids identify as transgender, he asked, if you’re in the middle and it isn’t part of your life, “is this topic hollow to you?”
Wayne said it’s bigger than that: “We either are what we were or we’re becoming something that many of us don’t want to be.” He said he did the West Texas stories that led to some of the changes on locker rooms and girls’ sports, and “it’s not a close call to me.” Craig’s answer: he isn’t giving any ground, but “I probably should also be talking about the thing that’s affecting 70, 80% of people and not just 3%.”
The good news nobody is selling
Craig said manufacturing “is coming back in large numbers because of President Trump,” and “that is a conversation that’s not really happening at all.” Wayne agreed, “People are frustrated with prices,” but said he would have flooded social media all year with what’s better, from the border to the drug-boat strikes to the price of eggs. He said Trump is trying to “play chess and not checkers” but struggles to get that across to “a lot of people in the middle.” Craig still laughs at Trump’s most outlandish lines, but said “the left loves the fact that he does that because it allows them to make that the entirety of the point.”
Then Wayne got to windmills. “I don’t like the look of giant white windmills,” he said. “They also don’t create a lot of energy,” Craig said. Wayne said he can’t believe that a state “which has been uber successful” might elect James Talarico, given “his comments about the oil and gas industry.”
Michael on parents and classrooms
Michael called to say the issue is bigger than the numbers: “They’re trying to take away parental decisions.” Craig agreed that the left “would like a teacher in a classroom to have more say over what a child does in their life than the own parents of the kid,” and said that’s a discussion “that affects far more families.” Wayne pointed to Glenn Youngkin’s run for governor of Virginia: “I think the education issue is the much better issue for Republicans.” Republicans, he said, “ought to be a party that celebrates families.” Craig’s version: “Just teach them math would be great.”
Kill them with kindness
Craig said a little compassion goes a long way with someone sure you’re a monster: “If you say anything compassionate within your response to something, it disarms somebody.” That doesn’t mean changing your mind. “You can’t change your views and change your beliefs to make someone happy with you. That’s surrender,” he said. “But there has to be a way to do something that’s slightly different, that still says what you believe, but says it differently and makes it harder to argue with.”
He used the economy as another example. The left, he said, wins people over with “the stupid argument of give us the money and we promise we’ll give it to you,” while conservatives offer “more opportunities for wealth in your individual life through things like bringing manufacturing back to this country.”
Iran and “turning the corner”
Wayne said “we’re turning the corner” on prices. On Iran, Craig noted the regime had enriched uranium to 60 percent and was getting close to the 90 percent level needed for a weapon. “Like we have to win definitively with Iran,” he said.
Mike on diesel and the Senate
Mike called in about diesel prices in the Midwest hurting farmers and truck drivers, who he worries “may just sit it out.” If Republicans lose the Senate, he said, there won’t be “another federal judge appointed for the next two years.” Craig said sitting out “causes things to get worse, not better,” because the left is “not a fan” of oil and gas. Wayne said “there’s so much more on the ballot than whether or not you love Donald Trump.”
On Talarico, Wayne said “he seems like a friendly guy,” but “he’s wrong for what this state is about.” His message to Cornyn voters thinking of staying home: they’ll “regret that vote because they need to stop whining.” Craig said corruption doesn’t go away “with anything other than handcuffs,” and closed with the week’s message: “Go out and vote and stop it.”
Also in this hour
- The show gave away two tickets to Wings Over Houston to the third caller.
- Wayne admitted he doesn’t own a KSEV T-shirt, and Craig said he has “a ton of them” in a box in the studio.
Hear Craig and Wayne live weekdays from 7–9 AM Central on AM 700 KSEV, The Voice of Texas. Visit the KSEV Mornings show page for live-listening controls and more episodes. Listen live weekdays 7-9 AM CT on the KSEV app.
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