Talarico Ends Nearly Two-Week Absence, Reappears at Austin Music Festival Amid GOP Attacks

Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico returned to the campaign trail Friday, appearing in public for the first time in nearly two weeks after an absence that drew mounting criticism from Republicans, including President Donald Trump.

“Hate to disappoint the conspiracy theorists, but James is still alive and meeting with voters at ACL today,” campaign spokesperson JT Ennis wrote on X, posting video of Talarico walking through crowds at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Talarico, who is challenging Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the seat, had not been seen at an in-person campaign event since a Sept. 26 news conference in Carrollton on rising gas prices. His campaign has said the absence was due to a severe case of the flu.

The gap in his public schedule became a flashpoint in the race. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, called Talarico “MISSING IN ACTION” and mocked him by the nickname “TalaFREAKo.”

“TalaFREAKo has been missing for 12 days! Now, after looking for him throughout all of Texas, and beyond, probably even weirder places than anyone would think possible, he put out a statement that he has the ‘flu.’ 12 days is a long time to rid yourself of the so-called flu bug. What’s going on?” Trump wrote.

Trump added that Texas needs “a Senator that’s a proven Champion like one that has been, without question, the Greatest Attorney General in the History of Texas, and one of the Greatest in the U.S.A.”

Paxton also pressed the issue at a campaign rally in San Antonio, asking voters, “Where is James Talarico?”

Talarico’s campaign disputed the framing of a full 12-day disappearance, noting he joined a Zoom call with the U.S. Hispanic Business Council on Sept. 30 after canceling an in-person appearance. By the campaign’s count, that shortens the absence to roughly nine days.

According to the timeline the campaign has laid out, Talarico’s last in-person event before his reappearance was the Sept. 26 Carrollton news conference. He then attended a fundraiser in New York City on Sept. 28, and on Sept. 29 announced he had been diagnosed with the flu.

The campaign said Talarico is expected to resume a full in-person schedule through the weekend as he prepares for an Oct. 14 CNN town hall. Officials also pointed out that before his illness, Talarico had already completed more than 100 public campaign events across Texas.