Texas Democrat James Talarico is billing himself as a “border security” Democrat, but past comments are resurfacing in which he accused Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of “hunting people” and committing “atrocities” while attempting to secure the southern border.
Talarico made the accusations during a July 2023 appearance on the “Texas in Focus” podcast, as Texas officials erected barriers designed to deter illegal immigration amid the Biden administration’s border policies.
“I think Greg Abbott’s border stunts have now become atrocities,” Talarico said, pointing to reports claiming officers were ordered to push women and children back into the Rio Grande. He also alleged there were “razor traps” designed to “maim and drown human beings.”
Talarico went even further in his criticism of Abbott.
“Greg Abbott is hunting people for his own political gain,” he said, calling it “the most cynical thing that I’ve seen in my time in Texas politics.”
The comments are resurfacing as Talarico seeks to present himself as a moderate while polls show a tight race against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Talarico has recently distanced himself from previous positions on issues ranging from immigration to transgender procedures for minors as he attempts to win statewide in Republican-leaning Texas.
The allegations Talarico referenced against Texas officials were investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety Office of Inspector General. The investigation found no evidence that supervisors directed troopers to push migrants into the Rio Grande.
More recently, Talarico has criticized what he called the “chaos” created by former President Joe Biden’s border policies while describing himself as a “border security” Democrat.
That position stands in sharp contrast to his 2023 comments, when he called on the Biden administration to intervene against Abbott’s border security measures, including water barriers and razor wire.
“I hope Joe Biden will do the right thing,” Talarico said at the time, arguing that the Biden administration and federal lawmakers had a “moral responsibility” to intervene and prevent what he called “human rights abuses.”
Those remarks came as nearly 100,000 illegal migrants were detained while attempting to cross the southern border in June 2023. Biden administration border officials later cut portions of Texas’ razor wire, while the Justice Department sued the state over barriers placed in the water to deter illegal immigration.
Talarico has also previously promoted guidance aimed at helping illegal immigrants avoid detention, called for the southern border to have a “welcome mat” and accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement of “terrorizing” the country.
His shifting positions have extended beyond immigration.
During the same podcast where he recently described himself as a “border security” Democrat, Talarico said he opposed “gender reassignment surgeries for minors.” Three years earlier, however, he voted against legislation banning transgender surgeries on children.
American Principles Project President Terry Schilling previously accused Talarico of concealing his left-wing positions to appeal to more conservative Texas voters.
“He’s a trans Texan, and people should see right through it,” Schilling said. “He does not have your best interest at heart.”
