'He's going to hell': Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick accuses Talarico of campaigning against God



Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) broached the subjects of God and damnation in his remarks on Friday to the 2026 Republican Party of Texas State Convention, characterizing Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico as a radical blasphemer in desperate need of prayer.

Preempting possible criticism by the media over his discussion of Jesus and "standing up for God," Patrick noted that "it's James Talarico who decided to bring the Bible into this election — and let me tell you, that's not a Bible I've ever read. I've never seen so much blasphemy from anyone running for office."

'That's the darkness.'

Democrat state Rep. James Talarico is a part-time Presbyterian seminarian who has, among other things,

  • attempted to use Scripture to justify abortion;
  • preached at a leftist church that regards abortion as a "blessing";
  • protested the public display of the Ten Commandments;
  • attributed the beginning of the "story of Jesus" to an "extraordinary act of feminism";
  • fought to keep the Bible out of schools;
  • characterized curricula that "elevate[s] Christianity over the other major world religions" as "deeply un-Christian";
  • concern-mongered about traditional Christian views;
  • voted against sparing kids from sex-rejection mutilations and claimed there are six sexes.

Talarico has desperately attempted in recent weeks to adopt a less radical, less effeminate persona. In addition to posing with meat — after having previously clutched pearls over animal welfare and the impact of meat consumption on "climate change" — he recently walked back some of his more provocative theological claims.

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F. Carter Smith/Bloomberg/Getty Images

In a 2021 speech protesting legislation that prevents male athletes from playing on girls' K-12 school sports teams, Talarico stated, "God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between; God is nonbinary."

In an interview last month, Talarico called some of his previous religious statements "cringey comments" that were "meant to be deliberately provocative."

Lt. Gov. Patrick evidently isn't buying what Talarico is selling, stating on Friday, "Let me tell you what, I'm going to pray for that guy because when he loses the Senate race, if he campaigns against God as he's been doing, he's going to hell for sure. That's what we're up against. That's the darkness."

Talarico responded to Patrick on X, writing, "For decades, Dan Patrick has sold out the poor, the sick, and the vulnerable to enrich his donors. Love feels like blasphemy when you worship power."

Paxton recently stated that his Democratic opponent — whom he has referred to as "Tofu Talarico" and "Low-T Talarico" — "is a threat to our values, our way of life, and the future of Texas."

A pair of recent polls indicate that the race is unnervingly close. While Paxton was up 45%-43% in a recent Quantus Insights poll, the two candidates were dead even in a Siena University poll earlier this month.

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Trump signs Iran deal, blasts 'fools' after meltdowns by Sens. Cruz and Cassidy



President Donald Trump was originally scheduled to sign a hard copy of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding in Switzerland on Friday, but evidently sealing the deal and reopening the Strait of Hormuz couldn't wait.

Flanked by French President Emmanuel Macron and French first lady Brigitte Macron and with Secretary of State Marco Rubio looming behind him, Trump signed the deal at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday night, stating, "This was not easy, I can tell you."

'Reagan is rolling over in his grave.'

Pakistani President Shehbaz Sharif, a key mediator during the peace talks, subsequently noted that the agreement is now in effect, meaning — as a first step — Iran will "instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade."

The White House hailed the agreement as a great achievement.

"Following the historic destruction of Iran's military capabilities through the successful Operation Epic Fury, President Trump and his negotiating team have brokered an excellent, performance-based MOU that advances the interests of the United States by ending the fighting, reopening the Strait of Hormuz to significantly lower energy prices, and forcing Iran to commit to abandon its nuclear ambitions," stated White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales.

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

Following the signing, gasoline prices dropped and U.S. Treasury and stock futures rebounded.

Democrats in Congress, Iran hawks, and several Israeli officials have complained incessantly in recent days about the agreement. On Wednesday, however, Republican lawmakers were among the loudest critics of the textual prelude to a final peace agreement.

After sharing critiques by others troubled by the peace deal, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told The Hill, "History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. I think the president is receiving some very poor advice on this deal."

Cruz seems to have been referring to the sixth of the agreement's 14 points, which states, "The United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Cruz recycled these remarks in an interview with the Daily Wire, where he emphasized his support for Trump's decision "to initiate military action against Iran."

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican who finished a distant third in the Louisiana GOP Senate primary last month, similarly chimed in on Wednesday, writing, "Reagan is rolling over in his grave."

"Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future," continued Cassidy. "Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal."

"This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades," added the departing senator.

Failed presidential candidate Nikki Haley and Sen. Thom Tillis — the retiring North Carolina Republican whom Trump called a "loser" and an "angry man" earlier this month — also aired their concerns.

Tillis suggested that the U.S. was "equivocating" on some of the goals set earlier in the conflict; emphasized the need for "accountability for Iran"; insinuated that the agreement is the result of the administration "getting a bit skittish over the economic consequences of going to war to begin with"; and said he prefers a deal that won't just last through the remainder of Trump's terms but for multiple generations.

"Hitting Iran’s nuclear and missile sites was the right move," wrote Haley.

"Now, we plan to unlock billions of dollars and lift sanctions, with the promise of even more money. They will use that money the way they always do — to further their nuclear ambitions and on terrorist proxies against us. It’s a huge mistake to pay to rebuild the threat we just destroyed."

Not all champions of the war, however, condemned the deal.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote, "It is my opinion that signing the MOU will be beneficial to the United States, in as much as the Strait of Hormuz will begin to open, and the hostilities with Iran will stop."

While casting doubt on whether a final deal could be reached, Graham emphasized that signing the agreement constituted an "essential step" to creating economic stability for the U.S., the region, and the world, a step he regards as a prerequisite for "the expansion of the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel."

Trump evidently caught wind of all the pearl-clutching and weighed in on Thursday morning, stating on Truth Social, "These fools, who think I haven't been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are 'tumbling' down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

According to AAA's tracker, the national average gas price fell to $3.99 per gallon on Thursday — the lowest it has been in over two and a half months.

Brent crude futures are down to just over $78.28 per barrel — down from highs north of $110 in recent wartime months.

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Texas’s James Talarico, 37, Shares His Only Checking Account With His Mom

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, 37, has a single checking account that holds up to $50,000—and he shares it with his mother, a frequent contributor to his political campaigns who pitched in to cover Talarico’s moving expenses when he was 32, records show.

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