{"id":2681235,"date":"2026-10-11T09:27:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-11T13:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/talarico-makes-first-appearance-after-long-absence-rumors-claim-it-wasnt-the-flu\/"},"modified":"2026-10-11T09:29:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T13:29:54","slug":"talarico-makes-first-appearance-after-long-absence-rumors-claim-it-wasnt-the-flu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/talarico-makes-first-appearance-after-long-absence-rumors-claim-it-wasnt-the-flu\/","title":{"rendered":"Talarico Makes First Appearance After Long Absence &#8211; Rumors Claim it Wasn&#8217;t the Flu"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftalarico-makes-first-appearance-after-long-absence-rumors-claim-it-wasnt-the-flu%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2681235&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico reappeared publicly after a two-week absence, claiming he was suffering from the flu. He was seen at the Austin City Limits music festival, appearing friendly and available, with coverage from The Hill and The New York Times supporting his claim. However, critics, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, questioned the legitimacy of his illness, suggesting he may have attended events with celebrities and donors during his absence. Rumors from sources, notably Spencer Pratt, allege Talarico might be in a mental health facility and his campaign has ceased planning events, raising concerns about his health and campaign viability. President Donald Trump also mocked Talarico\u2019s disappearance, urging him to debate his opponent, Ken Paxton. The discourse highlights contrasting narratives about his health and campaign activity amidst ongoing political tensions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico of Texas returned to public view Friday while brushing off questions about the past 13 days when he was missing from the campaign trail.<\/p>\n<p>Talarico made a visible show of being affable and available at the Austin City Limits music festival, as noted by <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/6140552-james-talarico-returns-flu-absence-campaign\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hill<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Talarico claimed he had a \u201cnasty case of the flu\u201d and had been \u201chome in bed,\u201d according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/10\/09\/us\/james-talarico-absence-texas-senate.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Rumors from prominent sources tell a different story, however.<\/p>\n<p>Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is wagging an uphill campaign to defeat Talarico after winning a divisive Republican primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, said the explanation did not pass the smell test.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJames Talarico skipped out on the Hispanic business leaders, canceled on the Central Texas African American Civic Engagement Symposium, and tried to pass off old content as new,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KenPaxtonTX\/status\/2108709611649806548\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe doesn\u2019t get to reappear like nothing happened after ghosting the 31 million Texans he wants to represent for two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe \u2018flu\u2019 didn\u2019t stop him from meeting with New York billionaires and Hollywood elites, or from partying with celebrities at a music festival most working Texans don\u2019t have the luxury of attending, especially after taking two weeks off work. Must be nice after two weeks of PTO,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Spencer Pratt had posted on X that this was not a case of the flu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy sources are telling me Talarico is in a mental health facility,\u201d Pratt wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis campaign has stopped actively planning events in the vital homestretch of the campaign. If this is true, this is actually a time to pray for Talarico.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">My sources are telling me Talarico is in a mental health facility. His campaign has stopped actively planning events in the vital homestretch of the campaign.<\/p>\n<p>If this is true, this is actually a time to pray for Talarico. We should, of course, savagely mock his smug, awful campaign advisors, by all means\u2026and while yes, of course, this would be disqualifying for Talarico\u2019s aspirations to be a Texas Senator, we must hold empathy for anyone undergoing crisis. Campaigns are brutal, and not everybody is cut out for it. You need very thick skin. As much as I don\u2019t want Talarico anywhere near government, I also don\u2019t want wish him harm, and no political office is worth having a breakdown. His awful advisors are at fault for this. They pushed him to be something he isn\u2019t, and it didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m praying that this isn\u2019t true, and he\u2019s OK. You want to win these fights on the battlefield of ideas, not the minefield of poor health.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/spencerpratt\/status\/2108553958696399249?\">October 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe should, of course, savagely mock his smug, awful campaign advisors, by all means\u2026and while yes, of course, this would be disqualifying for Talarico\u2019s aspirations to be a Texas Senator, we must hold empathy for anyone undergoing crisis,\u201d Pratt wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCampaigns are brutal, and not everybody is cut out for it. You need very thick skin. As much as I don\u2019t want Talarico anywhere near government, I also don\u2019t want wish him harm, and no political office is worth having a breakdown. His awful advisors are at fault for this. They pushed him to be something he isn\u2019t, and it didn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last week, President <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/117403140590234301\">Donald Trump<\/a> mocked Talarico\u2019s disappearance down a mysterious hidey hole.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJames TalaFREAKo, who is running for the United States Senate in Texas, is MISSING IN ACTION! No one has seen him for an extended period of time,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is he? What is wrong with him? Bad rumors are coming out. He should immediately report to a Debate Stage against Ken Paxton, who is ready, willing, and able, one of the best Attorney Generals in the Country, and will soon be, hopefully, a United States Senator representing the Great People of Texas!\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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