James Talarico’s old X post sparks Republican backlash: “He is toast”

James Talarico, Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Texas, faces Republican criticism online for a post he made on X in 2020 after the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.

Arbery’s killing in Glynn County, Georgia, became a flashpoint for racial injustice in 2020, sparking protests and backlash across the country alongside the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor​.

Why It Matters

The reaction on social media to the post potentially shows how resurfaced social media remarks can spark political narratives in competitive races, especially in Texas where statewide contests draw national attention.

Talarico won the Democratic primary in Texas for U.S. Senate, beating out U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett in the competitive race. Talarico will advance to face either GOP state Attorney General Ken Paxton or incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn in November’s general election.

What To Know

In the thread of posts on May 8, 2020, Talarico first said, “#AhmaudArbery is the latest American killed by the virus of racism. The virus kills our black neighbors if they’re jogging, playing music, sitting in church, selling CDs, or carrying a bag of Skittles…”

The second post continued, “White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus. But we spread it wherever we go—through our words, our actions, and our systems. We don’t have to be showing symptoms—like a white hood or a Confederate flag—to be contagious.” In a final post, Talarico added, “The only cure is diagnosing the virus within ourselves and taking dramatic actions to contain the spread. The first small step is proclaiming loudly and unequivocally that #BlackLivesMatter.”

Republicans took to X on Wednesday, responding to Talarico’s second post.

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said, “If this is a real Talarico post, he is toast. This is Tim Walz clone territory. He could win in Minnesota, but not in Texas.”

Republican U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma posted to X, “The future of the Democratic Party.”

In an email to Newsweek reacting to the backlash, Talarico’s campaign said: “John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, Greg Abbott and the billionaires who prop them up are scared of James Talarico for good reason: our campaign is building a movement poised to change the politics of this state and take power back for working people. While they lob stale attacks to mislead Texans, we are uniting the people of Texas to win in November.”