Rep. Brandon Gill, a Republican from Texas, posted on X that Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is running “the most dishonest campaign in the history of Texas,” quoting a clip in which Talarico says he wants to “end the current system of overpolicing” and “reinvest” public funding in “community-based solutions.” Gill wrote that Talarico had been a “radical leftist” until he needed votes outside Austin. Online users reacted after the post, with many agreeing and others pointing to Gill’s Republican rival, Ken Paxton.
The clip shows a Zoom call, with James Talarico’s window highlighted as he speaks to the group. In the footage, Talarico describes what he calls a “really exciting” chance to “end the current situation of over-policing communities of color which has been in place in this country since its founding.”
He then says communities are “figuring out how we reinvest our limited public funding into these community-based solutions that really start to address the underlying causes,” adding, “That to me is really exciting.” The short clip does not show the rest of the call or what was said before he began.
Fox News has reported that the remarks come from a September 2020 Zoom call with South Asian American Voter Empowerment, or SAAVETX. The video does not show Talarico’s later votes or campaign statements.
Talarico’s campaign has disputed the reading of the old remarks. Spokesperson JT Ennis told CNN, “James did not call for and does not support defunding the police, and he strongly supports Texas law enforcement and first responders,” and said Talarico “has voted to send billions of dollars to local law enforcement.” The campaign has said the comments were taken out of context.
How Viewers Are Responding to Gill’s Post
Some commenters sided with Gill and treated the old remarks as proof that Talarico is running as a moderate. Jeremy Carl wrote, “Fact check: absolutely true.” One user called Talarico “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” who is “portraying himself as a centrist before the election,” adding that “Talarico is cunning” and that “both are deceivers.”
Another wrote, “We’ve all seen how these ‘community-based’ solutions have become disasters in blue states.”
Others rejected the charge and turned it on Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee. “And you think the corrupt Paxton is better?” one commenter asked. “Ken Paxton’s dishonest record speaks for itself,” another wrote.
A third said, “The dishonesty is all with Ken Paxton,” and another added, “I don’t wanna democrat in the Senate for the seat, but Paxton is the crook and has been for a very long time.”
It is not clear whether the post will move voters beyond the online exchange. The clip remains part of the Texas Senate race, as both campaigns and commenters continue to argue over Talarico’s 2020 remarks.
