Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico appeared at CNN’s town hall Wednesday night, speaking to prospective voters. However, multiple claims made by him appear to be misleading or untrue.
On the issue of border security, Talarico said during the town hall that he is a “border security Democrat” and did not support abolishing ICE.
“I think we’ve got to a get to a place where we reject extremism on this issue in both parties and finally pass comprehensive immigration reform,” Talarico said. “I think we should know who’s coming into our country.”
“I also think that a comprehensive immigration package should include more legal pathways for hardworking immigrants who want to come here and contribute to our economy and make us richer and stronger as a nation.”
However, while Talarico claims to be a “border security Democrat,” his legislative record shows otherwise.
During the 86th Legislative Session, Talarico voted against House Bill 888, which allows people who misrepresent a child as a family member to be arrested and charged with a Class B misdemeanor in any county throughout Texas.
In 2021, during the 87th Legislative Session, Talarico again voted against a border security bill, House Bill 9, that appropriated $1.8 billion for border security efforts. The bill devoted $750 million to constructing an additional border barrier and $450 million to increasing the number of Texas National Guard and other law enforcement personnel at the border.
Talarico did author one piece of legislation while in the Texas Legislature that increased security at ports of entry by installing X-ray inspection technology systems at Texas-Mexico border crossings.
He touted that legislation during the town hall, saying he “rolled out a commonsense border security plan that was endorsed by both Democratic and Republican law enforcement officials along our southern border.”
CNN questioned Talarico about his stance on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, noting that he previously said that “it is time to tear down the secret police force and replace it.”
Talarico pushed back on that, saying that he is not in support of abolishing ICE and adding, “I never have,” while also saying that ICE is terrorizing communities.
“We need Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country. But that’s not what we’re seeing. What we’ve seen over the last year is a secret police force,” Talarico said. “We don’t want masked men in unmarked vehicles coming through and terrorizing our communities.”
“We don’t want federal agents murdering our neighbors before our very eyes,” he added.
Talarico was also questioned by a voter about the oil and gas industry. Talarico said he would protect the industry while also advocating for renewable energy.
However, in 2021, while a member of the Texas House of Representatives, Talarico filed the ‘Texas Climate Action Act’ which sought to make deep cuts in emissions by 2030 and 2050. The bill would have had a negative effect on gas oil and gas jobs, with some saying it would have killed 620,000 jobs in Texas. The bill never received a hearing and died in the House.
Talarico also touched on billionaires and super PACs donating to politicians. He said he’s never taken corporate PAC money and wants to ban super PACs “so billionaires aren’t spending unlimited secret money on our political campaigns.”
However, last week, it was revealed that Talarico’s campaign received $10 million from billionaire Reid Hoffman, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein. Hoffman gave the money to a super PAC, Lone Star Rising PAC, which is backing Talarico in the closely contested Senate race.
More recently, Talarico has been in the news for his views on Christianity and God, with Talarico famously saying that “God is non-binary.”
One voter challenged him on the topic of Christianity, pushing back on his past comments that have made many Christians question his faith.
Talarico addressed his statement that “God is nonbinary,” saying he was “being provocative.”
“I’ve kind of admitted how I’ve said things in the past, have maybe not come across the right way, or have upset people, and that’s not my intention,” Talarico said. “Preachers often will say something shocking in a sermon to get your attention, and that’s something I’m still learning how to do in a responsible way.”
Another voter also questioned Talarico on his Christian faith in regard to abortion.
Talarico responded to the voter’s question, saying, “the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion,” before going on to say that they have a similar goal in wanting to reduce abortions and see “fewer unplanned or unwanted pregnancies.”
The voter responded to Talarico, saying, “The Bible is not silent on abortion. There is the Ten Commandments, ‘Thou shall not kill.’”
Talarico then pushed back on the voter, saying that “if I believed that abortion was murder, that it violated the Ten Commandments, then I wouldn’t support it.”
Despite Talarico’s claim that he believes the Bible is silent on abortion, he previously said in an interview with Joe Rogan that “there are certain passages of the Torah, where some folks will even say there is some subtle instructions for how to perform an abortion in the ancient world.”
Talarico was also questioned on his stance on the SAVE America Act, which Talarico said he would “have to read the details of the legislation.”
He then went on to say that he is in favor of “fair voter ID,” saying that he believes a lot of the voter ID policies are discriminatory.
“As long as voter ID is fair, then I’m all for it,” Talarico said.
However, in a July 2021 interview with Pete Hegseth, Talarico said he “opposed having to have a driver’s license to vote,” and also said, “I oppose voter ID.”
According to an Oct. 14 poll released by Marist Poll, Talarico has a 2-percentage-point lead over Republican Ken Paxton.
Another poll conducted by UMass Lowell and YouGov shows that Talarico and Paxton are tied at 45% among likely voters.
Early voting begins Oct. 19 and ends Oct. 30.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
