Vice President JD Vance appeared to make a joke about the sexuality of James Talarico, the Democratic candidate challenging Republicans in the Texas Senate race, during a campaign stop Tuesday.
Vance was campaigning for Ken Paxton, Texas’ attorney general and the Republican Senate nominee. Paxton has trailed Talarico in some polling despite the state’s long-standing Republican lean.
The remark came near the beginning of Vance’s speech, after an audience member expressed affection for the vice president.
‘I love you too, sir. In a totally platonic way, to be clear,’ Vance said. ‘I’m the Vice President, not James Talarico.’
Talarico, a 37-year-old member of the Texas House, has emerged as a potential breakthrough candidate for Democrats in the traditionally conservative state. Republican attacks on him have increasingly focused on portraying him as unusual or out of step.
Republicans have mocked Talarico as ‘low-T’ and referred to him by the nickname ‘Talafreako.’
They have also seized on earlier comments in which the Democrat expressed support for transgender young people.
Talarico has additionally faced questions about his relationship with his girlfriend, Brianna Menard, who previously worked as his chief of staff.
Vice President JD Vance criticized Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico during a campaign appearance Tuesday in Tyler, Texas
Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico poses for a photograph at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday
Vance returned to that line of attack during Tuesday’s rally.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, this guy’s a freak,’ the vice president told supporters. ‘Don’t elect him, pick Ken Paxton.’
Earlier in the day, a reporter had asked Vance to explain his comment that he did not want to see Talarico’s internet search history.
‘He’s just a guy who shows a weird focus on transgender kids and drag queens, and … he said something to the effect of an 11-year-old in drag was a great sight or a very beautiful thing,’ Vance said.
‘It’s just he says a lot of weird stuff and I think typically people who say stuff like that tend to have some pretty unusual search histories,’ Vance continued, before adding, ‘Maybe he doesn’t.’
He repeated the suggestion during his rally remarks.
‘The best part about this guy is he was asked what he loves in life, besides his own family and friends. And he responded without skipping a beat, “trans children,”‘ Vance claimed.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Trump-backed Republican Senate nominee, attends a Tuesday rally led by Vice President JD Vance ahead of the midterm elections
‘Now you got to wonder what the internet search history of a man like that looks like, ladies and gentlemen,’ Vance said. ‘You don’t want to find out. Neither do I.’
Vance also referenced a conspiracy theory that circulated around Talarico’s campaign after the candidate temporarily left the campaign trail while recovering from the flu.
A fake story had gone viral that Talarico was missing because he was being treated at a mental institution in Ohio.
Talarico’s campaign and the facility denied the allegations, with the Democrat saying that he’s never even been to Ohio.
‘James Talarico needs a week or two to get his own head examined because he’s lost his damn mind,’ Vance said.
Talarico’s campaign responded by pointing to a recent scandal rocking the Paxton campaign – that the GOP hopeful had been caught on video partying in Dubai with two businessmen indicted on federal healthcare fraud charges.
‘After Ken Paxton was caught partying with fugitives in Dubai, he called in reinforcements from JD Vance and Mike Johnson to try and distract Texans from his record of corruption,’ spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement to Our News Outlet.
‘While DC politicians spread lies, James will continue bringing Democrats, Republicans, and independents together to fix this broken, corrupt political system and lower costs for working people,’ Ennis added.
