An undercover video published by the Daily Wire shows the pastor of Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s church suggesting his recent moves toward the political center are a campaign strategy rather than a genuine change in position.
In the video, Rev. Babs Miller, minister at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, tells an undercover journalist, “I can guarantee you that once he gets elected, he’ll change his tune back to where he was.”
Talarico, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Texas, has in recent months taken positions that break from earlier statements, including backing a national ban on gender-transition surgeries for minors and saying he opposes transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports “if it endangers safety or fairness.”
When the undercover journalist raised criticism Talarico has faced for previously saying “God was nonbinary,” Miller responded, “Duh,” appearing to affirm the underlying view before describing what she characterized as the political calculation behind his current messaging.
Asked whether Talarico had to “play this game,” Miller agreed, saying: “That’s what his campaign has convinced him of. The Democratic Party is backing off on their stances on trans and all of this, and so his staff is encouraging him to kind of do the same thing, just for the next 50 weeks, whatever days.” She added, “I think it’s bad advice personally, but if it helps him win, okay…”
A Record of Shifting Statements
Talarico has previously said, “Modern science acknowledges six biological variations based on chromosomes to argue that sex is a nuanced spectrum, not a strict binary,” before later saying, “I know there are two sexes, men and women.” He has also called concerns about biological males competing in girls’ sports a “far-right conspiracy” while separately saying he opposes such competition when it threatens safety or fairness.
In another exchange, when asked what he loved besides family and friends, Talarico said, “I love, I’m just saying this because it’s on my mind, the trans children who showed up yesterday at the state Capitol to advocate for their humanity.” Asked to name his favorite drag queen in Texas, he named Alyssa Edwards, who has described herself as “a drag performer that works with children.”
The Pastor’s Background
Separate reporting from RedState, citing video obtained by Townhall Media, quotes Miller telling members of her congregation, “We still have people in this church who wish that the young man had not just nicked his ear, but had been more successful,” an apparent reference to the attempt on former President Trump’s life.
Miller’s church bio identifies her as an “out” lesbian chaplain who came out during seminary; other public profiles describe her as identifying as nonbinary and lesbian. In an oral-history interview held in Presbyterian church archives, Miller said she opposed Texas rules that classify certain gender treatments for minors as child abuse, and that she helped St. Andrew’s offer sanctuary to migrants.
The video’s release comes amid other opposition research targeting Talarico’s campaign, including a video from the Texas Majority PAC. Early voting in the Texas race begins October 19.
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