The national Democratic Party completely threw out the political playbook this week, descending into the absolute gutter on social media.
After Lone Star State Attorney General Ken Paxton clobbered incumbent John Cornyn in a high-stakes GOP senatorial primary, the Dems eagerly posted a photo of their own nominee, James Talarico, declaring on X: “Fired up. Ready to go. It’s time to take back Texas.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fired up. Ready to go.
It’s time to take back Texas. <a href="https://t.co/BaFsUGOgSp">pic.twitter.com/BaFsUGOgSp</a>
&mdash; Democrats (@TheDemocrats) <a href="https://x.com/TheDemocrats/status/2059445758047273316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller poked the leftist bear, writing: “The Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender senate candidate.”
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The Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender senate candidate. <a href="https://t.co/KaGDLn2naP">https://t.co/KaGDLn2naP</a>
&mdash; Stephen Miller (@StephenM) <a href="https://x.com/StephenM/status/2059664091812094400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Rather than offering a clever political retort, the official, blue-checked Democrats account completely unraveled, <a href="https://x.com/TheDemocrats/status/2059685644041892078">firing back</a> with a shockingly vulgar, schoolyard insult: “Shut up, you ugly f*ck.”
Talarico’s actual record in Texas is raising plenty of eyebrows. He’s already been dubbed “Six-Gender Jimmy” and “James Tala-freak-o,” and a look into Talarico&#8217;s platform shows a politician deeply obsessed with radical gender ideology.
The Democrat nominee’s spiritual home, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, behaves more like a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-book-is-gay-read-the-sexually-explicit-volumes-james-talaricos-church-gives-kids">woke indoctrination camp</a> than a house of worship. The church library proudly boasts a collection of &#8220;banned books&#8221; available to children that would make a sailor blush. The book collection includes &#8220;Gender Queer&#8221; and &#8220;All Boys Aren&#8217;t Blue,&#8221; which feature graphic descriptions and illustrations of anal rape, incest, and oral sex.
The church even hosts trainings linked to the anti-Trump “No Kings” protest movement and bills itself as a “Reproductive Freedom Congregation” where “abortion is a blessing.” Talarico himself has taken to the pulpit there, once delivered a sermon asserting that “our trans community needs abortion care too.”
Talarico&#8217;s sympathy for the transgender movement isn&#8217;t just a church hobby; it&#8217;s his legislative identity. An unearthed podcast clip revealed Talarico proclaiming that, outside of family and friends, the thing he loves most in the world is “trans children.”
On the legislative floor, Talarico has consistently gone to bat for the most extreme wings of the trans movement. He voted against protecting children from irreversible transgender surgeries and cross-sex hormones. He fought fiercely against keeping biological men out of women’s sports. Even more radical, Talarico publicly argued that parents who refuse to “affirm” a child’s sudden gender confusion are guilty of being “abusive” and “destructive.”
To top off his bizarre theology, the lawmaker has argued in committee hearings that modern science recognizes “six biological sexes” and has claimed that “God is non-binary” and Jesus was a “radical feminist.”
With the Democrats melting down into profane tantrums online and their candidate pushing extreme gender theories in a state Donald Trump won by 14 points, Texas Republicans are smelling victory.
If the Dems keep up the X-rated rhetoric, &#8220;taking back Texas&#8221; is going to remain a pipe dream.

James Talarico

‘Shut Up, You Ugly F*ck’: Democrats Melt Down After Stephen Miller Trolls Radically Woke Talarico

Democrats

Stephen Miller

Texas

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on Wednesday attempted to walk back his extreme views on Christianity and far-left gender ideology ahead of the November showdown against Republican Ken Paxton.
In an interview with CBS News, Talarico admitted some of his past comments on faith “missed the mark.” 
“You said God is non-binary. What did you mean by that?” CBS reporter Ed O&#8217;Keefe asked.
“I was being intentionally provocative with that statement, but what it means is that God can&#8217;t be defined by human categories,” Talarico replied. &#8220;The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, says that in Christ there is neither male nor female.” 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Talarico&#039;s Mouth Keeps Getting Him in Trouble" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J3TXl15jr6U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
He added: “I&#8217;m always going to stand up for Texans who are being picked on by the most powerful, most corrupt politicians in the country, and I&#8217;m going to continue doing that in this race, and hopefully in the U.S. Senate.” 
O&#8217;Keefe pressed Talarico again, asking if he regretted “talking about God that way.” 
“There are some statements that I&#8217;ve made that I certainly regret. There are statements that I&#8217;ve made where I&#8217;ve missed the mark,” Talarico conceded. “I&#8217;ll be the first to admit that, but Ken Paxton is intentionally clipping my cringy comments to distract from his career of corruption.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Texas state Rep. and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico responded to GOP attacks over his past remark that God is “non-binary,” telling <a href="https://x.com/edokeefe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@edokeefe</a> that some of his previous comments “missed the mark.”
“There are some statements that I’ve made that I certainly regret,”… <a href="https://t.co/VRsEXHo6ir">pic.twitter.com/VRsEXHo6ir</a>
— CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://x.com/CBSNews/status/2059668066741445059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
Talarico appeared to be referring to a viral 60-second super PAC ad supporting Paxton that compiled some of Talarico’s most controversial comments, including calling the American flag a “complicated symbol,” saying he loves transgender children, and stating that he believes there are six genders.
“Low T Talarico – too weak for Texas,” the spot said. 
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NEW AD:
Low T Talarico is too WEAK and WEIRD for Texas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TXsen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TXsen</a> <a href="https://t.co/B6wL7pto4S">pic.twitter.com/B6wL7pto4S</a>
— Lone Star Liberty PAC (@LoneStar_PAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoneStar_PAC/status/2057531828085350738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-book-is-gay-read-the-sexually-explicit-volumes-james-talaricos-church-gives-kids">The Daily Wire on Wednesday</a> revealed that Talarico’s church, part of the liberal mainline Presbyterian denomination, pushes radical gender ideology on children, featuring books filled with sexually explicit content.
“Do you still believe there are six biological sexes?” O&#8217;Keefe asked the U.S. Senate hopeful.
“I know there are two sexes, men and women. I also know there&#8217;s a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities, and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” Talarico replied. 
The dramatic shift in tone comes one day after Texas Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-backed-paxton-defeats-cornyn-in-texas-senate-clash?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump-Backed+Paxton+Blows+Out+Cornyn+In+Texas+Senate+Showdown">overwhelmingly chose Paxton</a> as their Republican nominee.
Democrats — and their donors — are banking on Talarico’s faith worldview to help make inroads with religious voters. <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/state/texas/">About 67% of Texas adults</a> identify as Christian, including large evangelical and Catholic communities.
CNN political analyst Nia-Malika Henderson said Talarico’s theological framing will likely fall flat — and could even backfire — with many Christians.
“That&#8217;s going to be a problem in Texas, and it&#8217;s going to be a problem for a lot of Christian voters, whether you&#8217;re a Latino, black, or white, they don&#8217;t agree with that interpretation of the faith and of Christianity,” Henderson said. “He&#8217;s a vulnerable candidate in Texas.&#8221;
The Paxton-Talarico race, which could play a major role in determining control of the upper chamber, is set for November 3.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
CNN admits that James Talarico will struggle with Christian voters across the board in Texas <a href="https://t.co/4bf1aB9gqy">pic.twitter.com/4bf1aB9gqy</a>
— Jacob Wheeler (@JWheelertv) <a href="https://x.com/JWheelertv/status/2059460071352889584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>

Texas State Representative Talarico Campaigns Ahead Of Primary Election

James Talarico Is Already Running From His Past Self

News

Understandably, Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico is working overtime to try to deny any “vegan” label as he runs for office in Texas. However, a resurfaced video of the Democrat bragging about his all-vegan campaign is throwing a wrench in that mission. 
Talarico, while running for re-election to the Texas House of Representatives in 2022, suggested eating meat was morally wrong, in part because of the “existential&#8221; threat of climate change. That’s why, he boasted, that his campaign was going completely “non-meat” and ordering from vegan restaurants. 
“Not just because it’s the right thing to do, and the moral thing to do, but also, as all of you know, it’s necessary to fight climate change,” Talarico says in the video. &#8220;It is now existential that we try to reduce our meat consumption and that we try to respect animals in all aspects of society.” 
“I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign,” he announced. “We are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses.”
“The point is, all of us, not just policymakers, but everyone has to take personal responsibility in this effort,” he added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
James Talarico: &#8220;I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign. We are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses.&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/TXsen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TXsen</a><a href="https://t.co/SkZZ05IXMj">pic.twitter.com/SkZZ05IXMj</a>
— Lone Star Liberty PAC (@LoneStar_PAC) <a href="https://x.com/LoneStar_PAC/status/2059466997633605735?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
Republicans have made fun of Talarico for being a vegan in Texas, where barbecue is part of the culture. Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running against Talarico for the Senate seat, has called him “Tofu Talarico.&#8221; And President Donald Trump recently quipped, “You can’t get elected as a vegan in Texas.” 
In the wake of the criticism, Democrats and Talarico himself have been denying any association with veganism. On Wednesday, the official X account for the Democratic National Committee posted a photo of Talarico eating barbecue.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
November, here we come. <a href="https://t.co/ux1w1WzGNO">pic.twitter.com/ux1w1WzGNO</a>
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDemocrats/status/2059661179790696699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
And earlier this week, the Democrat <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/27/politics/james-talarico-vegan-policy-positions">said</a> he’s “been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment.”
Criticism of Talarico doesn’t stop at his diet. Christians have called out the Democrat for his strong, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-james-talarico-is-trying-to-rewrite-the-bible-on-abortion?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+James+Talarico+Is+Trying+To+Rewrite+The+Bible+On+Abortion">supposedly Bible-backed abortion-on-demand push</a>. Talarico is also a strong supporter of “trans kids,” backing highly controversial and often irreversible trans surgeries for minors.
<div class="xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a">
<div dir="auto">&#8220;James Talarico supports trans surgeries for kids,&#8221; Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TomCottonAR/posts/james-talarico-supports-trans-surgeries-for-kids-talarico-said-god-is-non-binary/1522819315881054/">posted</a> on Wednesday. &#8220;Talarico said God is &#8216;non-binary,&#8217; he believes there are six genders, and he wants taxpayers to fund abortion. He has no business serving in the Senate. Ken Paxton will make a fantastic Senator for Texas and he has my full support.&#8221;</div>
</div>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-james-talarico-is-trying-to-rewrite-the-bible-on-abortion?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+James+Talarico+Is+Trying+To+Rewrite+The+Bible+On+Abortion">How James Talarico Is Trying To Rewrite The Bible On Abortion</a>

James Talarico Keeps Denying The Vegan Label. Video Suggests Otherwise.

James Talarico Keeps Is Denying The Vegan Label. This Video Suggests Otherwise.

Ken Paxton

Veganism

Republican voters made a Texas-sized gamble last night in the Lone Star state, betting that even with the baggage he carries into a general election, Trump loyalist Attorney General Ken Paxton will be able to handle the threat from a strongly backed Democratic effort behind State Rep. James Talarico. We&#8217;ve heard the left’s dreams of turning Texas blue for decades, but even with his defects as a candidate and fundraiser, Paxton still enters the final contest as the favored candidate. The larger question is whether that gamble will cost Texans and Republicans in other races around the country.
As successful as he&#8217;s been politically — with a knack for surviving challenges, lawsuits, and even an impeachment — Paxton has never been an effective individual fundraiser. The biggest gap between him and incumbent Senator John Cornyn isn&#8217;t ideology or even loyalty to the president — it&#8217;s their capability to raise money in a state marketplace that demands it.
Cornyn&#8217;s campaign doomed his effort to hold on this cycle by squandering that money on television ads, poor staffing choices, and adopting a general Washington insider tone in a cycle of voter frustration — but they had plenty of money to dump into the effort. National Republicans are pissed off about the whole situation, understanding that they may now have to push money into a contest that wouldn&#8217;t have needed it if voters had decided differently. If their reluctance to spend big on yet another contest in a critical cycle holds and Paxton&#8217;s past is prologue, he&#8217;ll have to get a leg up from Texas donors called upon to grin and bear it about a candidate they&#8217;ve been reluctant to fund.
The concern among Texas Republican politicos is less about Talarico&#8217;s potential for victory, given his lengthy history of far-Left comments about everything under the sun, and more about the newly drawn redistricted map potentially netting fewer GOP victories than hoped for, given Paxton&#8217;s electoral appeal. While Cornyn and fellow Senator Ted Cruz have consistently held the line among Hispanic voters (in his Senate race, Cruz won Hispanic voters by 6 points over Colin Allred two years ago), Paxton has lagged. The latest polling has Talarico winning Hispanics in the state by almost 30 points, and such turnout from those voters in November could be a major drag on Republican congressional candidates down-ticket.
The fear in Washington is that Texas will now draw resources necessary to hold seats in Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio — potentially detracting from the strong GOP hopes of taking Senate seats in Michigan and Georgia. If Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott decide to keep their focus on those five contests, Texas may be left on its own to get Paxton across the finish line.
The unpredictable element here is how much the national media will play in this contest. In the past, we&#8217;ve seen the national glow-ups for candidates like Beto O&#8217;Rourke totally backfire, turning a fairly middle-of-the-road El Paso Democrat into a progressive wet dream, the skateboard-riding bass player that made Austin swoon but who ultimately had no path to victory statewide. Will Talarico get the same treatment? He already is, though every interview he does betrays that his version of non-binary six gender abortion-loving Christianity is anathema in the Valley.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Texas state Rep. and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico responded to GOP attacks over his past remark that God is “non-binary,” telling <a href="https://twitter.com/edokeefe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@edokeefe</a> that some of his previous comments “missed the mark.”
“There are some statements that I’ve made that I certainly regret,”… <a href="https://t.co/VRsEXHo6ir">pic.twitter.com/VRsEXHo6ir</a>
— CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/2059668066741445059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Paxton is still the odds-on favorite. To a certain extent, the lengthy catalog of his failings is largely known to voters, while Talarico is still a fresh face who hasn&#8217;t confronted the scrutiny of running statewide in an old-school Texas knife fight. For Republicans who care about holding the Senate against a blue wave, they have hope that Paxton&#8217;s sins are already baked in, and that Talarico&#8217;s approach to running continues to look more like prep for his ideal next job — co-hosting a religion podcast for The New York Times.

Rep. Ken Paxton, and U.S. Senate candidate watch party

Voters Make A Texas-Sized Gamble On Ken Paxton

DW Opinion

John Cornyn

Texas Elections

The Texas church where Democrat James Talarico has delivered his radical sermons is pushing radical gender ideology on children, featuring books filled with sexually explicit content and transgender ideology.
Talarico, the Democrat nominee for the crucial Senate election in November, attends St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin. There, children have access to a library stocked with “banned books” that promote ideas rejected by most Christians, including books that contain descriptions of anal rape, incest, and oral sex, according to a Daily Wire review of its offerings.
Books found in the St. Andrew’s catalog include the book “Gender Queer,” which includes illustrations of oral sex and masturbation, and the book “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” which discusses anal rape and incest.
“This Book Is Gay,” <a href="https://www.amazon.com/This-Book-Gay-Juno-Dawson/dp/1492617830" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has</a> a chapter on the “ins and outs of gay sex,” while the book “Becoming Nicole” tells the story of a gender-confused teen boy who identifies as girl with the support of his family. In “The Courage to Be Queer,” the author <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/eEmUCgAAQBAJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> that “God is queer.”
Other books in the church catalog include “This Book is Gay,” “Trans Kids, Our Kids: Stories and Resources from the Frontlines of the Movement for Transgender Youth,” “Called OUT: The Voices and Gifts of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Presbyterians,&#8221; “The Courage to Be Queer,” and “Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family.”
Talarico, looking to flip a Senate seat in a state President Donald Trump won by 14 points in 2024, has faced criticism over comments he made on transgender ideology. It will likely be a central theme in the campaign against him — in his first speech as the official Republican nominee on Tuesday night, Republican Ken Paxton referred to Talarico as both &#8220;Six-Gender Jimmy&#8221; and &#8220;James Tala-FREAKO.&#8221;
Republican congressman Brandon Gill on the same stage went after Talarico over the Daily Wire report earlier this year on the time he said the thing he loved most in the world was &#8220;trans children.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-james-talarico-says-he-loves-trans-children-in-unearthed-clip">WATCH: James Talarico Says He Loves ‘Trans Children’ In Unearthed Clip</a>
St. Andrew’s, the church where Talarico <a href="https://x.com/greg_price11/status/2029210425879892253?s=20">delivered</a> his sermon that asserted that &#8220;our trans community needs abortion care too,&#8221; <a href="https://www.staopen.org/banned-books" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it offers banned books so that children can find “affirmation in the books they read.&#8221; It boasts that the books “shift our perspective, develop empathy, and see more clearly the call to justice among all people.&#8221;
“We are a safe haven for controversial narratives right in the heart of Texas, the state that takes the top prize in challenged books. Take a moment to browse our collection of banned books and see what you notice &#8230; common themes … particular experiences and identities being censored,” the church says of its banned books collection.
Talarico has voted in the state legislature against keeping men out of women&#8217;s sports and claimed it was “abusive” and “destructive” if parents did not accept their child&#8217;s alleged gender identity.
He has also stated his belief that &#8220;god is nonbinary,&#8221; and that Jesus was a &#8220;radical feminist.&#8221;
St. Andrew’s is <a href="https://www.staopen.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">part</a> of the Presbyterian Church (USA), generally known as a liberal denomination with unorthodox views on gender and sexuality. Talarico&#8217;s church refers to itself as a “Reproductive Freedom Congregation,” <a href="https://justtx.org/rfc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meaning</a> it believes “abortion is a blessing.&#8221; The Democrat candidate himself has argued that the Bible doesn&#8217;t oppose abortion.
The church <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-turns-out-james-talaricos-church-is-as-weird-as-he-is" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a> held a training linked to the anti-Trump “No Kings” protest movement.

Featured Session: State Of Being: How To Care in 2024 with Ilana Glazer, Danny Brown, State & Local Politicians, and the ACLU – Conference – SXSW 2024 Conference and Festivals

‘God Is Queer’: See The Sexually Explicit Books James Talarico’s Church Gives Kids

Senate

Special Reporting

Transgender

The Texas Senate Republican primary runoff is pressing onward, as President Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the May 26 runoff.
When neither Paxton nor Cornyn was able to deliver a decisive victory in the initial vote — triggering the coming runoff — Trump indicated that an endorsement of one candidate was imminent. He did not name the candidate at the time — and has not indicated since who he might endorse or when — but said that when he did deliver his endorsement, he planned to call on the other candidate to drop out of the race.
A GOP operative familiar with the Cornyn campaign said that the campaign has not heard anything regarding where the president stands on an endorsement.
“Senator Cornyn over-performed all expectations by winning the March 3 primary after Ken Paxton spent two weeks predicting he would win without a runoff,” Cornyn campaign senior advisor Matt Mackowiak said in a statement, adding that Cornyn has “voted with President Trump 99.3% of the time and is one of his most effective allies in the Senate.”
“Democrats nominated their strongest candidate for U.S. Senate. Texas Republicans must nominate John Cornyn who is our strongest nominee by far to gain five new Congressional seats and advance Trump’s legislative agenda in the final two years of his second term,” Mackowiak added.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Paxton campaign for comment. Paxton is backed by Turning Point Action, and Cornyn is backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
“The runoff electorate is gonna naturally favor Paxton, because these are conservatives, these are people that are enthusiastic to turn out and support a strong attorney general and President Trump,” a Republican consultant told The Daily Wire on background in order to speak freely about the race.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-cornyn-paxton-endorsement-texas-senate-race-rcna263483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> reported on March 14 that the president would make a decision “over the next week or so,” but no announcement had been made even after two weeks had passed.
“I like both candidates very much,” he told the outlet, stressing that “a lot has to do with the SAVE America Act.”
“A lot is going to determine — Republicans have to get that passed, because that will secure voting in this country,” he added.
Paxton made waves after posting to X on March 5 that he would consider dropping out of the competitive runoff election if the Senate was able to pass the SAVE America Act.
“I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act,” <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2029607496395239546?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paxton</a> wrote.
The Republican later criticized Cornyn for his <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/11/opinion/sen-cornyn-why-the-save-act-matters-more-than-the-filibuster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a> op-ed, saying he would back potential changes to Senate rules in order to pass the voter identification legislation, calling it a “historic” pivot.
Cornyn wrote in the op-ed that he had previously backed the “60-vote threshold to protect the country,” but said that “when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”
Prior to the SAVE America Act push, Paxton had previously said he would remain in the race even if the president gave Cornyn his blessing.
“Well, that’s bad for him to say,” Trump told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/05/trump-paxton-texas-senate-primary-00814209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> on March 5. “That is bad for him. So maybe, maybe that leads me to go the other direction.”
Whoever wins the May 26 runoff will face off against Democrat James Talarico, at whom who the president had taken direct aim despite not weighing in on the Republican race. In a March 22 <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116273343074887409" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truth Social post</a>, the president called Talarico a “weak, ineffective guy.”
The president added that “this guy is worse” than his primary opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX).
“It does not matter because they’re both solid candidates,” an individual familiar with Republicans thinking on the race said on background, saying that recent coverage of the Democrat has been hurting his campaign.
“At this point, it’s more likely that Talarico drags Dems down at the bottom of the ticket.”
The Daily Wire reached out to the Talarico campaign for comment.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Senator John Cornyn.

Trump Holds Cards In Texas Showdown As One Move Could Clear The Field

Congress

The good news: Bible reading is up across every demographic in America in 2025. The bad news: certain politicians and activists are using those hallowed words as partisan narrative building to launder radical ideology into the language of faith.
They aren’t coming to the Word. They’re mining it.
James Talarico is the most prominent current offender. The Democrat nominee for Texas Senate — think “pick me” Pastor Pete — has made a habit of weaponizing the Lord&#8217;s Divine Writ to sanctify progressive politics. On Joe Rogan’s podcast, he even used the Annunciation to justify abortion.
“I say all of this in the context of abortion. Before God comes over Mary and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent … Go back and read this in Luke.”
Okay — I did.
In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces: &#8220;You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus &#8230; The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.&#8221; Mary responds: &#8220;Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.&#8221;
Mary’s humble, faithful acceptance of a unique divine calling — the Incarnation of God Himself — is not a theological permission slip for abortion on demand. The exegetical gymnastics required to arrive at this conclusion are impressive, to say the least. But Talarico isn’t doing theology. He’s doing politics.
And Talarico is not unique in his weaponization of scripture. Progressives have swarmed any comment section touching immigration, social policy, or religious liberty, and you’ll find the same three or four Bible verses deployed like rhetorical grenades (they think they’re so creative). &#8220;What happened to love thy neighbor?&#8221; &#8220;Jesus was an immigrant.&#8221; &#8220;There isn&#8217;t a single Christian who&#8217;s actually read the whole Bible.&#8221;
The angry agnostics thought they had us there! Their words are meant to sting. They’re also increasingly incorrect.
I am on day 198 of the Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz. Every morning, I sit with passages and prophets most material heretics never touch — astonished at the sheer magnitude of wisdom and meaning within those pages. And I can tell you: what’s being weaponized in op-eds and cable hits is a fraction of a fraction of what’s actually there.
Today, it was Isaiah that stopped me cold. Isaiah’s taunt against the king of kings of Babylon — and by extension Lucifer himself — reads:
“How the oppressor has ceased! How his insolence has ceased! The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, that struck down the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows, that ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution … Sheol beneath is stirred up to meet you when you come … &#8216;You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us!&#8217; Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your harps; maggots are the bed beneath you, and worms are your covering. How you have fallen from heaven!”
It is visceral, sweeping, and devastating. It is the story of what happens when a being given every gift and capability turns those gifts towards pride and domination; when free will is used for evil.
There is a reason we don’t hear that passage quoted by the activists cherry-picking Scripture for social media. It doesn’t fit the narrative. It never does.
What I’ve found, page by page, is that the Bible is far stranger, far harder, and far more demanding than the domesticated version, either Nationalist or Progressive, being peddled by its political appropriators. It doesn’t bend easily to any agenda — it’s harsh. It can also drastically improve your life if you let it. But it resists those who approach it not as the living Word of God, but as a rhetorical arsenal.
Reading it completely — and understanding it — is its own form of resistance. It’s how you know when you’re being lied to. It’s how you develop the intellectual grounding to defend the faith, not just feel it. And in an era when leaders and loudmouths are increasingly mocking Christianity, that groundedness isn’t optional; to me, it’s essential.
For myself, reading the Bible has been transformative. Father Mike doesn’t just read the text &#8211; he explains the scripture, makes it digestible, and allows me to apply these teachings to my life in a way that has made each day lighter.
It’s changed how I think, how I argue, how I deal with shortcomings, and frankly, how I respond when someone online tells me I’ve never opened a Bible.
I have. I’d recommend you do the same.

Senate Candidate James Talarico Holds Primary Night Event

No, The Bible Still Doesn’t Advocate For Abortion

Abortion

Bible

A North Austin church attended by Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) is drawing increased attention amid his U.S. Senate campaign, with church leadership citing both heightened visibility and security concerns.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, where Talarico has been a member since childhood, has recently hosted and is continuing to promote a series of events that include political organizing and activist training sessions. Pastor Jim Rigby told congregants in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StAndrewsAustin/posts/dear-friend-member-or-potential-visitoras-you-probably-know-james-talaricos-camp/1372459444919630/">Facebook post</a> that the attention surrounding Talarico’s campaign has led to an increase in both positive engagement and “hostile press” and negative communications.
“Because we have also received some hostile press and an influx of negative communication, we have temporarily hired plain clothes security as a safety precaution,” Rigby wrote, adding that the church is considering longer-term safety measures. Among the events promoted by the church was a gathering tied to the “No Kings” protest movement, which took place Sunday, June 22, following the church’s morning service.
“Join us this Sunday following the 11:00 service in the sanctuary as we prepare together for the upcoming No Kings protest,” the church said in an event listing. “We’ll review key materials and relevant training, set up shared communication channels … and close with a digital safety training.”
The session included guidance on “personal privacy, protest device recommendations, and best practices for keeping yourself safe,” according to the church’s website. <a href="https://www.nokings.org/">A third wave</a> of “No Kings” protests is scheduled to take place nationwide on March 28, including an event in Austin planned from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT.
The church has also advertised a self-defense seminar, coached by a man described as “a martial artist trained in boxing, MMA, and traditional disciplines.” The event, open to the public, notes that instruction will incorporate “gender-neutral and body-affirming language.”
Rigby has not replied to The Daily Wire’s request for comment on the training at the time of publishing.
Talarico, an Austin Democrat, is running in a high-profile Senate race that will pit him against either Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton or Sen. John Cornyn, depending on the outcome of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-gop-battle-between-cornyn-and-paxton-will-head-to-runoff">Republican primary runoff</a>.
Conservatives have highlighted Talarico’s public statements about Christianity, such as <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/2029235718824857949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">abortion being a biblical teaching</a> and that <a href="https://x.com/realBrandonGill/status/2029031304126255588">God is nonbinary</a>, arguing that his views are out of step with many Texas voters. Talarico, who began pursuing a master of divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2022, has defended his positions as grounded in his faith.
He has also criticized Republican-backed policies, including a Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public schools, describing such measures as inconsistent with Christian teaching.
Talarico has said he aims to &#8220;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-james-talarico.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">reclaim Christianity for the Left</a>,&#8221; framing his political positions as rooted in biblical principles and social justice concerns. His approach reflects a broader trend within mainline Protestant denominations that have aligned with progressive political priorities. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the denomination to which St. Andrew’s belongs, has experienced <a href="https://pres-outlook.org/2025/09/the-future-of-the-presbyterian-church-u-s-a-decline-renewal-and-shifting-trends/">decades of membership decline</a>, falling significantly from its peak in the mid-20th century, even as more theologically conservative Presbyterian groups have reported growth in recent years.
As Talarico’s Senate campaign gains national attention, his home congregation will likely continue to be viewed not just as a place of worship, but as a venue where faith and contemporary political activism intersect in highly visible ways.

It Turns Out James Talarico’s Church Is As Weird As He Is

Elections

Politics

Religion

James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, claimed Thursday that the &#8220;undocumented students&#8221; he previously taught were the &#8220;most patriotic.&#8221;
Talarico, who previously taught sixth-grade language arts at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio, made the remarks during a live taping of The Bulwark podcast in Dallas with host Tim Miller, where he also criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a &#8220;secret police&#8221; force.
&#8220;I taught a lot of undocumented students, and those students tended to be my most patriotic students,&#8221; Talarico said.
&#8220;They understood something about this country that a lot of us who are native born forget. That this is supposed to be the land of opportunity, that this is supposed to be the place where dreams come true, and they believed that in their bones. And they believed in this country even when this country didn&#8217;t believe in them,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
James Talarico claims his illegal immigrant students were more patriotic than American-born ones:
“I taught a lot of undocumented students. Those students tended to be my most patriotic students.”
This is apparently the message he’s going with to Texas parents. <a href="https://t.co/jBWwv7P5F1">pic.twitter.com/jBWwv7P5F1</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/2034802607726727377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Talarico has made similar comments glorifying illegal immigration in the past. In a resurfaced clip from a January Democratic primary debate, he said the U.S. southern border should function like a &#8220;front porch.&#8221;
“Our southern border should be like our front porch; there should be a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door,” Talarico said.
Talarico&#8217;s campaign website also states: “Most of us agree on what should happen. Our border should be like a front porch — it should have a welcome mat out front and a lock on the door.”
It adds: “We can both welcome the stranger — refugees, asylum seekers, and folks who want to contribute to our economy and pursue the American dream — and we can keep people out who mean to do us harm.”
In another past clip, Talarico said individuals who commit violent crimes &#8220;should be deported immediately,&#8221; while arguing that law enforcement resources should not be focused on &#8220;hard-working members of our community.”

Raging Moderates Live with James Talarico

Talarico Says Illegal Immigrant Students Are The ‘Most Patriotic’

Democrat

illegal immigrants

James Talarico is having a moment. The Texas state representative and Democratic Senate candidate has gone viral more times than most politicians manage to in a full career, partly because he’s young and articulate, and partly because he does something unusual for a Democrat: he talks about Jesus. A lot. 
He quotes Scripture on the House floor. Joe Rogan told him to run for president. The political media has decided Talarico represents something new: a Democrat who can finally speak Christian and counter their secular reputation.
I want to take that claim seriously because I think it deserves a serious answer. And the serious answer is: no, he doesn’t.
James Talarico simply stands for an old form of religious progressivism that is more interested in achieving progressive outcomes than holding sincerely to the Christian faith.
The question isn’t whether Talarico is personally sincere. I have no reason to doubt that he is. The question is whether his Christianity is doing any actual work in his politics and whether it functions as a theological foundation or is merely a rhetorical costume. When you look closely, the answer is pretty clearly the latter — Talarico’s Christianity is a Trojan horse with a progressive interior and a Christian exterior.
There is no progressive policy that Talarico’s Christianity hasn’t made peace with. Talarico supports abortion access, transgender ideology, expansive redistribution, and a vision of government robust enough to accomplish the full progressive policy agenda. He opposes the Ten Commandments in public schools and has described God as “nonbinary.” He attends a PCUSA church whose congregants celebrate being free from “<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/25/texas-senate-democratic-primary-crockett-talarico-christianity-faith-religion/">dusty old creeds and dogma</a>.” Now, here’s what’s interesting: you could arrive at every single one of those positions through standard secular progressive reasoning: appeals to autonomy, identity, equity, and the expansion of the administrative state. You don’t need the Bible to get there. You don’t need the atoning work of Jesus. Christianity is merely decorative. It’s a rhetorical add-on bolted onto a political program that was already fully assembled before Scripture even entered the room.
Here is what I mean when I say progressive Christianity wears Christianity as a skin suit. The framework is secular progressivism: identity politics, abortion, sexual revolutionary politics, and redistributionist economics. Christian language gets stitched over the top of it to make the whole thing look familiar to voters who grew up in church. It is smarmy and syrupy in its appeals to the “brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God.” But the theological content has been hollowed out and replaced. What remains is a set of emotional associations strangely redolent with progressivism (funny how that happens, isn’t it?), and it goes something like this: Jesus loved people, therefore expand Medicaid; the prophets cared for the poor, therefore raise the marginal tax rate; love your neighbor, therefore no borders. The assertions don’t hold up when the Bible is used responsibly, but they feel right to people who want the warmth and consolation of faith without the theological demands that counter progressive orthodoxy.
But oddly, none of this actually works in the long run for the people who employ it. Liberals don’t need Christianity to reach the conclusions Talarico is reaching. They already have a fully operational secular moral vocabulary — rights, autonomy, justice, and equity — that gets them to the same place. So why bother with the theological window dressing? The answer is purely electoral. Democrats have been hemorrhaging religious voters for a generation, and they’re looking for a way to stop the bleeding. Talarico is the proposed solution.
But the solution has a structural problem, and sociology is rather clear about it. Liberal theological commitments corrode religious belief across generations. This isn’t a conservative talking point; it’s one of the better-documented findings in the sociology of religion. Churches that accommodate the surrounding culture’s moral assumptions tend to empty out within two or three generations. The children of progressive Christians disproportionately become religiously unaffiliated. Why? Because if Christianity is just a more emotional version of what MSNBC already told you, you don’t need to get up on Sunday morning to hear it. You do not have to tithe; you do not have to bear social scorn for holding to supposedly outmoded dogmas “on the wrong side of history.” 
Theological substance — creation, fall, redemption, resurrection, judgment, human dignity, sexual ethics, and the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ — is precisely what makes Christianity worth believing. Strip that away in the name of openness, and you’ve kept the brand while destroying the product. That Talarico is having a moment should surprise no one. Previous generations of religious progressives had their moment, too, and in time, it all ends the same way: churches mutating into art museums and social justice clubs.
What Talarico and the progressive Christian project are doing is trying to make the Democratic Party look religion-friendly while simultaneously denying religion its actual substance. This betrays what Christianity really is by transforming it into progressive sentiment. Orthodox Christians won’t be persuaded, because they can see the theology has been replaced. Secular progressives don’t need Christianity anyway, so the whole performance ends up as a media-fueled vanity project to bolster progressive politics.
Talarico may mean well. But Christianity isn’t a political tool. It’s a truth claim about reality at odds with the progressivism of his “Christianity.”
* * *
Andrew T. Walker serves as Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a Fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center. You can follow him on X: @AndrewTWalker.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico Holds Campaign Rally In Houston On Eve Of Primary Election

Christianity As A Costume: What James Talarico Reveals About Progressive Religion

Christianity

Leftists

Opinion

Progressivism

A recurring theme throughout Scripture is that those who are not following the Lord, who are, in fact, in open rebellion against him, will nevertheless claim to be his standard bearers in the hopes of harnessing his power for their cause.
We see it in 1 Samuel 4-5 when disobedient Israel decides to carry the Ark of the Covenant into battle, believing its presence will guarantee their victory.
We see it in Jeremiah 7 when the Israelites are sure that the Lord is on their side, despite their idol worship, because they possess the temple.
We see it in Acts 19 when seven men who know nothing of Christ try to cast out demons in his name and are left naked, bloody, and fleeing for their lives.
And we see it today in the Senate candidacy of James Talarico, the Democrats’ great white hope for convincing Texas voters that they, too, are representing Jesus in the public square.
The significant electoral advantage Republicans enjoy with Christians — colloquially known as the “God Gap” — has been an acknowledged problem for the Left since the 1990s. But after years of being broadly antagonistic toward faith, including <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/democrats-shift-language-on-israel-remove-god-given-from-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">removing</a> <a href="https://cbn.com/news/politics/exclusive-democratic-convention-meetings-omit-under-god-pledge-allegiance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">references</a> to God from their party platform and from the Pledge of Allegiance during caucus meetings, Democrats are suddenly realizing they may find more success if they don’t alienate every voter who ever darkened the door of a church.
To some degree, the most successful Democrats have always done this. Bill Clinton regularly trotted out his born-again bona fides. Barack Obama, too, referenced his church membership to allay concerns that he was hostile toward religion. And, of course, black candidates like Raphael Warnock not only use the language of faith to win votes, they use actual pulpits in Sunday services.
But Talarico, a member of the liberal mainline Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is doing something different. And it has the legacy media cheering.
Vox <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20260303235619/https:/www.vox.com/politics/480894/james-talarico-jasmine-crockett-faith-love-healing-texas-voters-senate-primary-democratic-religion-left" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that he is “reclaim[ing] Christianity from the Right” by teaching Democrats a “better way to talk about faith.” MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) <a href="https://www.ms.now/opinion/james-talarico-wins-senate-democratic-primary-christian-faith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> that his “unapologetic embrace of his Christian faith sets him apart from other rising Democratic stars.” And the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/us/politics/talarico-christian-religion-texas-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crows</a> that he “poses a new kind of threat to Republicans” through his “matter-of-fact critique of how faith has come to be expressed in the American church.”
What they mean by all of this is that Talarico is doing more than the time-honored tactic of simply claiming Christian identity to woo faith-friendly voters. He’s out on the campaign trail teaching doctrine. False doctrine.
In one heavily political sermon, Talarico <a href="https://x.com/Protestia/status/2029269294362628217?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appealed to</a> a heretical Gnostic text, the Gospel of Thomas, to claim that Jesus is a “<a href="https://x.com/Protestia/status/2029264646167728143?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">radical feminist</a>” and Christianity is a “feminist religion.” He <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HerzogFoundation/videos/james-talarico-is-a-democratic-member-of-the-texas-house-of-representatives-who-/1259722596098165/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has described</a> God as &#8220;nonbinary” to explain his support for providing transgender surgeries and puberty blockers to children. On the Joe Rogan Experience, he cited Luke 1, in which the Angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will conceive the Messiah, to defend policy proposals like up-to-birth abortion, infanticide for babies who survive abortion, and opening abortion clinics in federal buildings.
&#8220;I say all this in the context of abortion,” Talarico <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jOGPvMftb8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Rogan</a>, “because before God comes over Mary, and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent … so to me, that is an affirmation in one of our most central stories that creation has to be done with consent. You cannot force someone to create.”
He added that Genesis 2:7 (“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being”) — means that &#8220;life starts when you take your first breath.”
For someone who claims the mantle of Christ for his candidacy, Talarico shows remarkably little loyalty to him. On Ezra Klein, he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa6fiO2EgJ4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsed universalism</a>, saying, “I believe Christianity points to the truth. I also think other religions of love point to the same truth. I think of different religious traditions as different languages.” In fact, Talarico doesn’t seem to view Jesus as a savior at all. During his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ7Pz_59A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the audience</a> one need not even be a Christian to get into Heaven.
&#8220;Jesus in Matthew 25 tells us exactly how you and I are going to be saved,” he said. “By feeding the hungry, by healing the sick &#8230; Nothing about going to church &#8230; nothing about even being a Christian.&#8221;
Anyone with even a passing familiarity with Scripture will instantly spot how grossly Talarico distorts God’s word. The problem is, in a country where <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/survey-find-major-gaps-in-americans-religious-knowledge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fewer than half</a> of Americans can identify the four gospels, most don’t have that passing familiarity and can be easily duped.
Whether it be John Cornyn or Ken Paxton, Talarico’s Republican opponent in this race will certainly try to poke holes in his religious assertions, as will conservative pundits. But if it is only other politicos warning against him, the impression onlookers will very likely have is that these are simply political disagreements. That would be disastrous for the spiritual education of a public <a href="https://www.barna.com/research/belief-in-jesus-rises/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasingly interested</a> in Christianity. Because it is not political arguments he is making, but theological ones. And that is why the most public rebukes of Talarico must come from pastors.
The Bible gives clear commands in passages like Titus 1:9-11, Ephesians 5:11, and Jude 3 that shepherds must oppose false teachers and expose their errors to protect the flock. It also offers plenty of examples to follow.
From Jeremiah publicly condemning the false prophet Hananiah in the temple courtyard for making the people “trust in a lie,” to the Apostle Paul sarcastically calling out the Judaizers, to Jesus himself ferociously reproving the Pharisees, Scripture gives us picture after picture of watchmen on the walls sounding the alarm against false teaching. The need for that alarm is no less just because the false teaching happens to occur in the context of an election.
Many high-profile conservative pastors have shown little reticence in calling out President Donald Trump for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW9MCulXr1w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">misusing Scripture</a> on occasion, and they are right to do so. They are often less eager to “punch left” for fear of being seen as too political.
Yet the Left’s most sacredly held social positions — abortion on demand, sexual perversion as a protected identity — are in direct conflict with a text that tells us God knew us in the womb and calls it an abomination for a man to pretend to be a woman. It is not that the American church is becoming too political; it is that our policies have become so immoral that the church cannot stay silent.
Left-wing actors twisting Scripture out of all recognition to give spiritual legitimacy to their positions is a growing problem that shepherds will have to contend with in order to faithfully discharge their duties, no matter how Talarico’s race turns out.
Just last month, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQIlDy_dBgI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he vetoed a bill to protect children from transgender procedures because he’s a Christian and he’s following Christ’s command to love his neighbor. In July, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RepJeffries/videos/the-scripture-teaches-us-to-care-for-the-poor-the-sick-and-the-afflicted-%EF%B8%8F-matth/710975971700116/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invoked</a> Matthew 25 in a floor speech opposing the budget bill.
Even the agitators who invaded Cities Church in St. Paul, profanely screaming in the faces of crying children about their white privilege, claimed they were following the model of Christ in turning over tables in the temple.
Before his death last year, John MacArthur, one of the foremost preachers of our era, did not hesitate to confront California Governor Gavin Newsom when he misused Scripture to defend his policies. In 2022, when Newsom began rolling out billboards that cited Matthew 25 to promote abortion, MacArthur issued an <a href="https://www.gty.org/blogs/B220928/an-open-letter-to-governor-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open letter</a>:
<blockquote>Almighty God says in His Word, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Scripture also teaches that it is the chief duty of any civic leader to reward those who do well and to punish evildoers (Romans 13:1–7). You have not only failed in that responsibility; you routinely turn it on its head, rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous…
In mid-September, you revealed to the entire nation how thoroughly rebellious against God you are when you sponsored billboards across America promoting the slaughter of children, whom He creates in the womb (Psalm 139:13–16; Isaiah 45:9–12). You further compounded the wickedness of that murderous campaign with a reprehensible act of gross blasphemy, quoting the very words of Jesus from Mark 12:31 as if you could somehow twist His meaning and arrogate His name in favor of butchering unborn infants. You used the name and the words of Christ to promote the credo of Molech (Leviticus 20:1–5). It would be hard to imagine a greater sacrilege.</blockquote>
Charles Spurgeon didn’t hesitate either.
In the 19th century, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were making inroads by selling the British working class on their theories. Though these were in the political realm, they crossed over into the religious. Thus Spurgeon, the most famous preacher of that era, felt duty-bound to address them, warning that embracing socialism would leave “all society shattered, and men wandering like monster icebergs on the sea, dashing against each other, and being at last utterly destroyed.” He then added a point, highlighting that the religious and the political often overlap: “Those who love the Church of God feel heavy at heart because the teachers of the people cause them to err. Even from a national point of view, men of foresight see cause for grave concern.”
Much more than any other Western nation, America is still broadly Christian, if not always in individual devotion, at least in cultural allegiance. The silver lining of moments like this, when false doctrine is being spread from such high places, is that it offers preachers of the truth an opportunity to gain new hearers.
I cannot remember a time when Christianity was being discussed and debated so broadly. The problem is, too much of that talk is not profitable and requires a sound teacher to offer a rebuttal. And pastors should be jealous of their territory, over which Caesar holds no authority or intimidation. If the wolf is a senator rather than a seminarian, you still confront and expel the wolf.
If you don’t, don’t be surprised when it devours a few of your sheep.

Texas State Representative Talarico Holds Primary Election Night Event

Pastors Have A Duty To Rebuke James Talarico

Churches

Texas Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico is facing scrutiny over social media posts from his time as a teacher in a public middle school, including assignments in which students were instructed to write &#8220;Obama memoirs” and encouraged to watch the Democratic National Convention.
Facebook posts reviewed by The Daily Wire from Talarico&#8217;s teacher page during the 2011 and 2012 school years show the then-sixth-grade language arts instructor incorporating his own political perspectives at Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio.
In a November 13, 2012, post, days after President Barack Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney, Talarico <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=530403600320566&amp;set=pb.100066594441728.-2207520000&amp;type=3">posted</a>: “Today, we finished writing our Obama memoirs. We&#8217;ve been learning about narrative non-fiction writing like memoirs for the past 2 weeks.”
“Students wrote a memoir of Election Night from the point of view of a member of the Obama family. Awesome job, Wildcats!” he added. A photo accompanying the post showed a student essay beneath the word, &#8220;Victory!!!!!!&#8221;
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1058609" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1058609" class="size-medium wp-image-1058609" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.19-AM-300x166.png" alt="Texas Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico had his students write &quot;Obama memoirs.&quot; " width="300" height="166" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.19-AM-300x166.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.19-AM-1024x566.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.19-AM-768x424.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.19-AM-1536x849.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.19-AM-2048x1132.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Texas Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico had his students write &#8220;Obama memoirs.&#8221;</div>
In another <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=531684123525847&amp;set=pb.100066594441728.-2207520000&amp;type=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>, Talarico highlighted the student memoirs on a classroom wall alongside images of the Obama family and the Obama campaign logo.
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<div id="attachment_1058611" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1058611" class=" wp-image-1058611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.45-AM-300x137.png" alt="Talarico’s wall of “Obama memoirs.”" width="400" height="183" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.45-AM-300x137.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.45-AM-1024x467.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.45-AM-768x350.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.45-AM-1536x700.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.57.45-AM-2048x933.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" />Talarico’s wall of “Obama memoirs.”</div>
Other posts show students participating in “debate bingo” during the presidential and vice presidential debates and being asked which candidate they thought won.
On September 4, 2012, Talarico <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=497685506925709&amp;set=pb.100066594441728.-2207520000&amp;type=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encouraged</a> his students to watch then-San Antonio Democratic Mayor Julian Castro deliver the keynote address at the DNC.
“Tonight, our own San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro will give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention!” Talarico wrote. “Mayor Castro grew up near Rhodes Middle School although he went to Tafolla MS. You can watch his speech tonight at 9pm on WOAI or KENS 5.”
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<div id="attachment_1058613" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1058613" class="size-medium wp-image-1058613" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.56.54-AM-300x170.png" alt="Talarico encouraging his students to watch then-San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro’s speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. " width="300" height="170" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.56.54-AM-300x170.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.56.54-AM-1016x576.png 1016w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.56.54-AM-768x435.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.56.54-AM-1536x871.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.56.54-AM-2048x1161.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Talarico encouraging his students to watch then-San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro’s speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.</div>
Photos from the classroom also show a “free thinker” wall featuring public figures including Obama, Castro, leftist activist Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez, Bill Gates, and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and various writers and artists, according to a September 2011 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=275448369149425&amp;set=pb.100066594441728.-2207520000&amp;type=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a>.
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<div id="attachment_1058615" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1058615" class="size-medium wp-image-1058615" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.55.48-AM-300x126.png" alt="Talarico’s “free thinker” wall highlighting numerous liberal leaders. " width="300" height="126" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.55.48-AM-300x126.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.55.48-AM-1024x430.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.55.48-AM-768x322.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.55.48-AM-1536x645.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-8.55.48-AM-2048x859.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Talarico’s “free thinker” wall highlighting numerous liberal leaders.</div>
The Daily Wire reached out to Talarico&#8217;s campaign and the San Antonio Independent School District for comment.
Republicans have commented on the resurfaced posts.
“From these Facebook posts it is clear he was pushing a partisan political message to middle school students in a deeply inappropriate way,&#8221; said Matt Mackowiak, a senior advisor to incumbent Sen. John Cornyn&#8217;s campaign. &#8220;It makes you wonder what he was teaching those kids in class behind closed doors.”
Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton are headed to a May 26 runoff in the Republican primary, as both campaigns hope to earn the endorsement of President Donald Trump. The winner will face Talarico in November. The Cook Political Report currently rates the general election as &#8220;Likely Republican.&#8221;

James_Barack

The ‘Obama Family POV’ Assignment Dem James Talarico Had Students Write

Julian Castro

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