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‘God is non-binary’: Texas Dem nominee Talarico’s past remarks on abortion, race and gender draw scrutiny
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While running as a moderate with bipartisan appeal, Texas state Rep. James Talarico, who defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for the Democratic Senate nomination, has a history of making controversial statements on matters of religion, race, gender, border security and beyond.
With Talarico in the national spotlight for the first time, many commentators and strategists are resurfacing some of his past remarks. Among them is a 2021 video of Talarico on the Texas House floor in Austin opposing a bill to ban men from women’s sports and claiming that «God is non-binary.»
«God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is non-binary,» said Talarico, adding, «Trans children are God’s children, made in God’s own image.»
A self-identified Presbyterian seminarian, Talarico casts many of his political stances in Christian and biblical language. However, while speaking on a January episode of The Ezra Klein Show, Talarico appeared to equivocate Christianity with other religions, including Hinduism and Islam.
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks at a primary election watch party Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
«I believe that Jesus Christ reveals that reality to us, but I also believe that other traditions reveal that reality in their own ways, with their own simple structures. And I’ve learned more about my tradition by learning more about Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam and Judaism. And so, I see these beautiful faith traditions as circling the same truth about the universe, about the cosmos,» he said.
Despite his use of biblical language, Talarico’s stances on many core religious issues stand in stark contrast with most traditional Christian denominations.
He has used the Bible to defend abortion and, on his campaign website, advocates codifying Roe v. Wade into national law. On an episode of «The Joe Rogan Experience» last year, Talarico said the story of Jesus Christ’s incarnation justifies his support for abortion.
«I say all this in the context of abortion, because before God comes over Mary, and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent … so to me, that is an affirmation in one of our most central stories that creation has to be done with consent. You cannot force someone to create … so that’s how I come down on that side of the issue.»
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, Talarico said, «This summer, more than half our population became second-class citizens. Every one of our neighbors with a uterus became the property of the State. And nothing is more un-Christian.»
In a video going viral on social media, Talarico appears to be giving a sermon in a church in which he says, «Did they teach you in Sunday school that Jesus Christ himself was a radical feminist?»
Beyond religion, he has also taken stances that break with common scientific understanding. In a Texas House Committee on Public Education hearing, he stated that «Modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes; in fact, there are six.»
During the same hearing, he went even further, saying, «The point is that biologically speaking, scientifically speaking, sex is a spectrum, and oftentimes can be very ambiguous.»
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Texas state Rep. James Talarico on the Texas House of Representatives floor in Austin. (James Talarico Senate campaign)
In another sermon, he said that the use of the term «woman» in the context of women’s rights should not be understood as an «exhaustive» term.
«Our trans community needs abortion care too. Defending trans Texans is something we have to do every day at the state capitol, and you better believe I’ll be giving sermons on that too,» he said, continuing, «So when I use the word ‘woman,’ it should not be understood as an exhaustive lens through which we understand, examine and interrogate patriarchy. Similar to how we specify anti-Black racism.»
In a series of 2020 tweets, Talarico referred to racism as a «virus» spread by all white people, regardless of whether they exhibit its «symptoms.»
«White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus. But we spread it wherever we go —through our words, our actions, and our systems. We don’t have to be showing symptoms—like a white hood or a Confederate flag—to be contagious,» he wrote, adding, «The only cure is diagnosing the virus within ourselves and taking dramatic actions to contain the spread. The first small step is proclaiming loudly and unequivocally that #BlackLivesMatter.»
On the Senate campaign trail, Talarico has framed his candidacy as one in opposition to billionaires, who he said are «destroying» the U.S.
«The only thing the media wants to ask me about are trans athletes. The only minority destroying this country is the billionaires,» he said during an interview with MSNBC. «Trans people are 1% of the population. Undocumented people are 1% of the population. We are all focused on the wrong 1%. Trans people aren’t taking away our healthcare. Undocumented people aren’t defunding our schools. It’s the billionaires and their puppet politicians.»
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Dallas Police investigate the scene where a shooter opened fire on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025 in Dallas. (Stewart F. House)
He has also harshly criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, accusing them of using terror to target immigrant families.
«Those neighbors of ours deserve a lot better than ICE terrorizing them and their children, ICE tearing families apart,» he said in an interview with local outlet KRWG.
Regarding border security, Talarico said during the Texas Democratic Senate debate against Crockett that «Our southern border should be like our front porch. There should be a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door.»
He continued, «We can welcome immigrants who want to live the American dream. We can build a pathway to citizenship for those neighbors who have been here, making us richer and stronger, and we can keep out people who mean to do us harm.»
Talarico defeated Crockett in the Democratic primary by a comfortable margin despite her already having a national following. Now, Democrats believe that Talarico stands a good chance to flip a Texas Senate seat blue for the first time in 33 years.
Among Talarico’s top supporters is progressive Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, who celebrated his primary victory by posting on X that «James Talarico is the future of the Democratic Party.»
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State Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, shakes hands with supporters at his primary night celebration, on March 3, 2026, in Austin. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
«He unites working people of all kinds to take on the billionaires who are making life unaffordable. He’s going to show Texas Republicans how powerful working people are when we stand together. On to victory in November,» wrote Casar.
JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by dismissing criticism of Talarico’s comments as «stale attacks to mislead Texans.»
In an emailed statement, Ennis told Fox News Digital that «John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, Greg Abbott and the billionaires who prop them up are scared of James Talarico for good reason: our campaign is building a movement poised to change the politics of this state and take power back for working people.»
«While they lob stale attacks to mislead Texans, we are uniting the people of Texas to win in November.»
Meanwhile, conservative pundits believe Talarico will fail to gain the bipartisan appeal needed to flip Texas blue.
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Matthew Schmitz, a conservative commentator, wrote on X, «James Talarico’s woke Billy Graham shtick has the same function as Tim Walz’s trans-affirming Elmer Fudd persona. Democrats desperately want a rural/religious-coded white male who can make their most unpopular positions seem American as apple pie.»
Talarico will face off against either longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, or state Attorney General Ken Paxton, depending on which candidate emerges victorious from the GOP’s primary runoff election. The Republican runoff election is on May 26**, and** the general election will take place on Nov. 3.
Talarico and Casar did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
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INTERNACIONAL
La guerra en Oriente Medio: el exilio iraní en Francia recibe amenazas de muerte del régimen persa y refuerzan la seguridad
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Sri Lanka began offloading 208 crew members from a second Iranian vessel a day after 87 people were killed and several others were still missing following a U.S. submarine strike on an Iranian warship in the same region.
«After detailed discussions with all parties, Sri Lanka has decided to assist the Iranian vessel,» Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told reporters at a press briefing in Colombo, Reuters reported.
Among the crew members being offloaded the ship, which is near the port of Colombo, were 53 officials, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors and 23 sailors, Dissanayake said.
Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal. (AP Photo)
The Iranian ship, the IRIS Dena, was sunk Wednesday off Sri Lanka’s coast in the Indian Ocean. Officials there have dispatched two freezers to store 87 bodies recovered at sea.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the ship was «effectively neutralized» in a Navy «fast attack» using a single Mark 48 torpedo. He added that the U.S. Navy achieved «immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea.»
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An injured Iranian sailor is moved on a stretcher at Galle National Hospital, where the sailors are receiving treatment, following a submarine attack on the Iranian military ship, IRIS Dena, off the coast of Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka, March 5, 2026. (Reuters/Thilina Kaluthotage)
Iran contends the ship was sunk in international waters without warning.
«The U.S. will bitterly regret the precedent it has set,» Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X.
Iran has asked Sri Lanka to assist with the repatriation of the bodies.
Sri Lankan officials said the Dena was on its way home after taking part in a naval exercise organized by India in the Bay of Bengal from Feb. 18 to 25.
Healthcare workers unload the bodies of Iranian sailors from a vehicle who died when their IRIS Dena warship sank outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
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Search and rescue operations would continue for an estimated 10 people who remain unaccounted for, they said.
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House Democrats largely voted to allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown to keep going on Thursday, shrugging off Republicans’ concerns about the increased domestic terror threat amid the U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran.
It comes hours after President Donald Trump shocked Capitol Hill by ousting DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and appointing Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as his replacement.
But that did not stop the vast majority of Democrats from voting against a bipartisan DHS funding bill aimed at funding the cabinet agency through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.
Nearly identical legislation already passed the House in January, but House GOP leaders wanted to force the vote again in light of heightened national security concerns within the country’s borders.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 3, 2025. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
While largely symbolic, it shows Republicans’ pressure strategy is falling on deaf ears as the left continues to protest President Donald Trump’s strategy to combat illegal immigration.
The bill was the product of original bipartisan negotiations that followed the longest-ever full government shutdown in U.S. history, which ended in November after 43 days.
It would fully fund all aspects of DHS while also including new guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanded by Democrats, like a body-worn camera mandate and new required training on public engagement and de-escalation.
But Democrats walked away from the deal en masse amid fallout from Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which saw two U.S. citizens shot and killed by federal agents during anti-ICE demonstrations there. The operation has since ended.
Democratic leaders are still insisting on withholding their caucus’ support, however, until further restrictions are put on ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents on the ground in various cities.
A person holds an image of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iranian demonstrators protest against the U.S.-Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 28, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
And House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., signaled to reporters that Noem’s ouster was not enough.
«It’s not like Kristi Noem was the one who was involved in negotiating anything. She was a corrupt lackey. So we were dealing with the White House before, and we’re going to continue to deal with the White House at this point,» he said.
Meanwhile, the resulting DHS shutdown has taken on new significance as the U.S. continues its campaign to take out Iran’s top leadership and its military sites.
Republican leaders are warning that keeping DHS in a shutdown state is dangerous for national security, given its jurisdiction over agencies that monitor threats from home and abroad.
SWALWELL PRESSED ON DEMOCRATS’ RESISTANCE TO FULLY FUNDING DHS AMID IRAN THREAT
«Now is the time to be vigilant at home and to ensure that all of our doors are locked, so to speak,» Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during a press conference Wednesday. «And yet, as all this is happening, we have Democrats running around here playing political games in Congress. It’s infuriating. They’ve shut down the very agency that is responsible for securing the homeland.»
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses for questions from reporters as he arrives for an Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 3, 2026. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called Republicans’ argument «insane» when asked by Fox News Digital earlier this week.
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«Donald Trump launches an unauthorized war in the Middle East. … He decides that he wants to spend billions of dollars to bomb Iran, rather than spend taxpayer dollars to lower the grocery bills that are crushing the American people, and then wants to use his unauthorized war as an excuse to continue spending taxpayer dollars to brutalize or kill American citizens by continuing to unleash ICE without restriction on the American people?» Jeffries posed. «I think it’s ridiculous.»
It’s the Senate, however, where passing that DHS funding bill is actually key to ending the shutdown. The upper chamber voted again Thursday on the original legislation that passed the House in January, but it failed to reach the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster.
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