An exchange between President Donald Trump and Senate candidate James Talarico (D-TX) escalated this week after Trump called Talarico an "insult to Jesus" during a Fox News radio appearance, triggering a sharp and widely shared response from the state lawmaker.
President Trump made the remarks while calling in to host Brian Kilmeade's radio show, where the conversation turned to the Texas Republican Senate primary and Talarico's record on LGBTQ+ issues.
Referencing a 2021 speech in which Talarico said "God is non-binary," Trump called the comments an insult to Jesus. "Whacked out… He is so woke. He's beyond woke," Trump said, describing Talarico as "grossly incompetent."
Talarico, who won the Democratic nomination in the Texas primary in March, did not back down. In a pointed response, he turned the religious framing back on the president.
"The President of the United States just said that I insulted Jesus," Talarico responded. "You want to know what insults Jesus? Kicking the sick off their health care while cutting taxes for billionaires. You know what insults Jesus? Deporting the stranger and separating babies from their mothers."
Talarico continued, referencing foreign policy and the Epstein files.
"You know what insults Jesus? Bombing innocent school children in Iran and sending our brave men and women off to die in another Forever War. You know what insults Jesus? Covering up the Epstein files and then refusing to prosecute a single person in them," he said.
"I am not a perfect Christian. I don't claim to be. There's only been one perfect Christian, and he was crucified on a cross 2000 years ago," he added. "Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Can we imagine war in heaven? Can we imagine bigotry in heaven? Can we imagine poverty in heaven? Then why do we tolerate these things on earth."
The clash comes as Talarico prepares to face either incumbent Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) or Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX), both opponents of LGBTQ+ equality, in the November general election.
When asked which Republican candidate he would endorse, Trump declined to confirm.
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