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James Talarico, a Texas Senate contender and former educator, stirred conversation on Thursday by asserting that some of his “most patriotic” students were undocumented immigrants.
In a discussion on “The Bulwark Podcast,” Talarico recounted, “Prior to entering politics, I was a public school teacher in San Antonio, Texas, on the city’s west side. Many of my students were undocumented, and they often demonstrated the highest levels of patriotism.”
The Democratic state legislator elaborated, “These students held a deep appreciation for what this country represents—something that many of us born here might overlook. They saw America as the land of opportunity, where dreams are meant to flourish.”
He continued, highlighting the resilience of these students: “They maintained their faith in this nation, even when it seemed the nation did not have faith in them.”
Talarico, a promising figure in the Democratic Party at 36, did not hold back his criticism of former President Trump’s stringent immigration policies, labeling them “immoral” and “unconscionable.”
“The fact that we have the most powerful politicians in the country terrorizing my former students and their families — people who work hard every day to contribute to this economy and to this country — to me, is immoral. It’s unconscionable. It’s unacceptable, and it has to end,” Talarico said.
Talarico’s remarks stunned conservatives on social media.
“This is apparently the message he’s going with to Texas parents,” conservative influencer Western Lensman posted on X.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) argued Talarico “cares more about the illegal aliens fresh over our border than the Texans whose families have been here for generations.”
“By saying all these things out loud, Talarico is gonna raise even more money than Beto,” conservative talk show host Steve Deace wrote on X, referring to the failed 2018 Texas Democratic Senate candidate, Beto O’Rourke.
“He’s also gonna lose worse, too,” Deace added.
“This woke creep has zero chance of ever representing the Lone Star State,” Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft told The Post. “It is stunning to watch James Talarico kamikaze his campaign by openly mocking Texans who love a good steak, worship God, and are patriotic red-blooded Americans.”