While he bills himself as a “border security” Democrat, James Talarico once accused Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott of “hunting people” and committing “atrocities” for securing the border.
Talarico leveled the allegations at Abbott during a podcast appearance in July 2023 as Texas officials put up barriers to deter illegal immigrants and close down President Joe Biden’s porous border. The Texas Democrat has attempted to sweep those views under the rug and now claims he wants to implement a “common sense” plan that would hire more Border Patrol officers.
“I think Greg Abbott’s border stunts have now become atrocities. As you mentioned, the Houston Chronicle is reporting on released internal emails that show officers being ordered to push women and children back into the Rio Grande,” Talarico said on the “Texas in Focus” podcast. “They’re reporting on razor traps that are designed to maim and drown human beings.”
He went on to level a wild accusation that Abbott was “hunting” illegal immigrants.
“And that should trouble all of us, regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum,” he said. “Greg Abbott is hunting people for his own political gain. And that’s the most cynical thing that I’ve seen in my time in Texas politics.”
The comment is the latest to resurface as Talarico attempts to rebrand himself as a moderate, as polls show a tight race with Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. From the border to transgender procedures for kids, Talarico has distanced himself from his past positions as he tries to win in red Texas outside of his home turf of deep-blue Austin.
Talarico’s accusations refer to discredited claims from an official who alleged that Texas troopers were directed to push illegal migrants into the Rio Grande to stop them from entering Texas. The DPS Office of Inspector General investigated the allegations and found no evidence that supervisors ordered troopers to push migrants into the river.
In recent weeks, Talarico claims to have critiqued the “chaos” caused by Biden’s border policy and said he was a “border security” Democrat. That flies in the face of other comments made during the “Texas in Focus” podcast when he said he wanted the Biden administration to go after Abbott for moving to secure the border through water barriers and razor wire while hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants were released en masse into the United States.
“I hope Joe Biden will do the right thing and act on behalf of everyone in the state and around the country who’s horrified at what they’re seeing on our southern border,” he said. “So I think Joe Biden, his administration, federal lawmakers have a moral responsibility to step in and prevent these human rights abuses that are happening in our name.”
Those comments came as nearly 100,000 illegal migrants were detained attempting to cross the southern border in June 2023. Biden’s border officials ended up cutting portions of the razor wire, and his Justice Department sued Texas over barriers placed in the water to deter illegal immigration.
Over the years, Talarico promoted guidance aimed at helping illegal immigrants avoid detention, called for the southern border to have a “welcome mat” out front, and accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of “terrorizing” the United States.
In the same podcast where he pitched himself as a “border security” Democrat, Talarico said that he opposed “gender reassignment surgeries for minors.” Just three years before, Talarico voted against a bill banning transgender surgeries on kids.
American Principles Project President Terry Schilling previously told The Daily Wire that Talarico was hiding his leftist beliefs to convey a more moderate image to conservative Texas voters.
“He’s a trans Texan, and people should see right through it,” he said. “He does not have your best interest at heart.”
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