Senate hopeful James Talarico is on the defensive after remarks resurfaced in which he lavished praise on Texas drag queens as «some of the best» in the country.

Talarico, the Democrats’ nominee in Texas’ hotly contested Senate race, made the comment in May 2023 while criticizing a bill in the state legislature banning «sexually oriented performances» on public property and in the presence of minors — a measure that would have likely restricted some drag shows.

He voted «present» on the legislation at the urging of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus after language explicitly referencing drag performers was stripped from an earlier version, arguing the revised bill would better protect their performances, in a statement to The Texas Newsroom.

«I think Texas is obviously the best state in the nation and I think we produce some of the best drag queens in the nation,» Talarico told the outlet. «And I didn’t want any legislation to target them or hurt that industry.»

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Talarico, a 37-year-old state legislator and seminarian, has repeatedly sparked controversy over past remarks on Christianity and gender issues in which he argued, «God is nonbinary,» claimed there are six biological sexes and gushed over transgender children.

The former middle school teacher also raised eyebrows in a resurfaced clip from 2022 in which he argued that scaling back meat consumption is «existential» to combating climate change and praised a left-wing activist group that advocated for dismantling the state’s massive oil and gas industry.

Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton’s campaign hammered Talarico’s drag queen praise in a statement to Fox News Digital.

«This is just one more addition to the long list of out-of-touch, extreme views James Talarico holds that are out of step with the people of Texas,» Paxton spokeswoman Madison Cercy said.

Talarico’s remarks also prompted sharp criticism from the Republican National Committee (RNC), which is working aggressively to keep the open seat currently held by retiring Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in Republican hands.

«He needs to stay away from kids and stop forcing his creepy trans-for-all agenda on Texas,» RNC spokesman Zach Kraft told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to Talarico’s campaign for comment.

A child listens as drag queen Brigitte Bandit reads a book during a drag story hour at The Little Gay Shop fashion accessories store on Aug. 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, signed the legislation, known as Senate Bill 12, in June 2023, but its enforcement has been subject to years-long legal challenges brought by LGBTQ organizations over alleged violations of First Amendment rights. Under the law, businesses can face up to a $10,000 fine for hosting a prohibited performance and drag performers could also be subject to criminal penalties.

In February, a federal appeals court allowed the state law regulating drag shows to go into effect, while a legal fight over its constitutionality continues.

«I will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually-oriented performances,» Paxton wrote in a November 2025 press release. «It is an honor to have defended this law, ensuring that our state remains safe for families and children, and I look forward to continuing to vigorously defend it on remand before the district court.»

Republicans’ criticism comes as Talarico is locked in a dead heat with Paxton just months ahead of the November midterm elections, according to recent polling.

A New York Times/Siena College survey released last week found that both candidates are tied, with 47% of the vote among likely voters in Texas.

According to the poll, approximately half of the respondents said Paxton, a Trump ally aligned with the MAGA movement, is too extreme, while just 43% viewed Talarico that way.

Additionally, less than four in 10 respondents believe Paxton has good character or the right kind of morals, while 56% and 51% of voters, respectively, said Talarico does, the survey found.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is shown during the Texas GOP convention in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on June 12, 2026. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

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However, the poll indicated that Talarico could struggle to overcome Democrats’ toxic brand in the Lone Star state, with 53% of respondents viewing the party as too far to the left.

La OTAN abrirá este martes una cumbre de dos días en Ankara con la intención de exhibir el incremento del gasto en defensa de sus miembros y contener las críticas del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, quien cuestionó a los aliados europeos por su respuesta durante la guerra contra Irán y volvió a reclamar un mayor compromiso con la seguridad colectiva.

La reunión, que se desarrollará en el palacio presidencial de la capital turca, tendrá lugar un año después de que los países de la Alianza Atlántica asumieran el compromiso de elevar el gasto en defensa hasta el 5% del Producto Interno Bruto (PBI), una meta impulsada por Trump durante las negociaciones con los socios europeos.

El secretario general de la OTAN, Mark Rutte, sostuvo que los países europeos cumplieron con los compromisos asumidos y reforzaron sus presupuestos militares, además de asumir una mayor responsabilidad en la defensa del continente frente a Rusia.

“Apenas un año después, ya vemos un avance transformador”, declaró Rutte ante periodistas en Ankara, en la víspera del inicio de la cumbre.

Trump viajó desde Washington acompañado por el secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, y el secretario de Defensa, Pete Hegseth, para participar de un encuentro que buscará mostrar cohesión dentro de la alianza pese a las diferencias surgidas durante las últimas semanas.

Como parte de las actividades previas a la cumbre, varios gobernantes presentarán este martes acuerdos para la compra de armamento por miles de millones de dólares con el objetivo de demostrar que avanzan en el incremento del gasto militar comprometido por la OTAN.

Sin embargo, el mandatario estadounidense expresó su malestar por la postura de varios aliados europeos durante el conflicto con Irán. Trump criticó que algunos países impidieran a las fuerzas estadounidenses utilizar sus bases militares para las operaciones contra territorio iraní.

“Es ridículo que Estados Unidos continúe por este sendero unilateral cuando la relación es recíproca. ¡Ellos no nos apoyaron!”, publicó Trump en su plataforma Truth Social al referirse a la falta de respaldo europeo durante la guerra en Medio Oriente.

Las capitales europeas buscarán evitar que esas diferencias deriven en una nueva crisis dentro de la OTAN y afecten la credibilidad de la organización.

Fuentes diplomáticas citadas por AFP consideran que la buena relación entre Trump y el presidente de Turquía, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, puede contribuir a reducir las tensiones durante el encuentro.

Al mismo tiempo, algunos aliados comenzaron a estudiar medidas para reforzar su presencia en Medio Oriente. Francia y el Reino Unido plantearon la posibilidad de impulsar una misión naval destinada a colaborar en la seguridad del estrecho de Ormuz y acercaron unidades navales a la región para responder ante una eventual escalada.

No obstante, los gobiernos europeos mantienen cautela debido a la fragilidad de la tregua entre Estados Unidos e Irán y esperan conocer la evolución de la situación antes de decidir un eventual despliegue militar.

Más allá de ese escenario, varios gobiernos europeos reconocen que Washington pretende reducir progresivamente su participación directa en la defensa convencional del continente.

Estados Unidos comunicó a sus aliados que espera una mayor participación europea en las tareas de defensa y anunció recientemente una reducción de los recursos que pone a disposición de los comandantes de la OTAN.

Frente a ese escenario, los países europeos intentarán demostrar durante la cumbre que cuentan con capacidad para asumir mayores responsabilidades sin romper el vínculo estratégico con Washington.

Rutte sostuvo que el proceso refleja una transformación profunda dentro de la alianza. “Todo esto es evidencia de un verdadero cambio de mentalidad”, afirmó el secretario general.

El dirigente añadió: “Esta es la OTAN 3.0. Una Europa más fuerte en una OTAN más fuerte”.

La guerra en Ucrania ocupará otro lugar central en la agenda de la reunión. Los gobiernos europeos asumieron gran parte del respaldo militar a Kiev después de la invasión rusa y buscarán mantener ese apoyo durante los próximos años.

El presidente ucraniano, Volodimir Zelensky, participará en la cumbre con el objetivo de conseguir un compromiso europeo para sostener un flujo de al menos 80.000 millones de dólares anuales en ayuda militar durante 2026 y 2027.

Además, Zelensky mantendrá una reunión con Trump en Ankara, donde intentará convencer al mandatario estadounidense de mantener la presión sobre Moscú para reactivar las negociaciones de paz.

Antes de viajar a Turquía, el presidente ucraniano reclamó nuevas medidas para reforzar la protección de su país tras un ataque ruso que dejó cerca de 30 muertos el lunes. “Decisiones fuertes”, pidió Zelensky a los miembros de la alianza para fortalecer la defensa aérea ucraniana.

The high-stakes fight between the left-wing and the center-left establishment for the future of the Democratic Party is moving to a much larger stage.

After victories by far-left and socialist candidates in dark blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado the past two weeks drew national attention, the spotlight now shifts to battleground Michigan.

That’s where moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who is backed by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the establishment; and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing candidate endorsed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are colliding in a crucial Senate showdown.

The winner of the Aug. 4, 2026, Democratic primary will face-off in the midterm elections in November against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination. The winner will succeed retiring Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat. 

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The seat is a top Republican target and is a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP, which currently controls the chamber with a slim, but manageable, 53-47 margin. The leading nonpartisan political handicappers at Cook Political Reporter rate the Senate race in Michigan as a toss-up.

Matt Bennett, one of the leaders at the Third Way, a leading center-left Democratic organization, told Fox News the primary in Michigan «is much more significant» than the intra-party ballot box showdowns the past two weeks in «very, very blue districts» in New York City and Denver.

The showdown in Michigan became a two-way race on Sunday, after progressive state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, once the third major Democrat in the primary, suspended her campaign.

«I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,» McMorrow pledged in a statement Sunday as she ended her Senate bid.

McMorrow, who has seen her national profile expand in recent years and was running as a progressive in an ideological space between El-Sayed and Stevens, suspended her campaign amid faltering poll numbers and fundraising that weren’t keeping pace with her two main rivals.

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State Sen. Mallory McMorrow campaigns at the Michigan Democratic Nominating Convention in Detroit on April 19, 2026. (Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group)

McMorrow pledged to fully support whichever Democrat wins the primary and will ultimately face-off with Rogers, who is running for the Senate for a second straight cycle after losing in 2024 to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin by a razor-thin margin.

Following McMorrow’s announcement, Stevens praised her fellow Democrat by calling her an «important voice» for policies that benefit Michigan families. Stevens then argued that she is the strongest Democratic candidate to win the primary and defeat Rogers in November.

«As we enter the final month of the primary election, I’m excited to continue to make my case to Michiganders why I’m the strongest Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers this November, lower costs, protect manufacturing jobs, and stand up to Trump’s abuses of power,» she added.

As she runs for the nomination, Stevens has been backed by millions in super PAC spending, including big bucks from Israel-aligned groups.

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Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., speaks during the House Democrats’ news conference to introduce the Taxpayer Data Protection Act in the Capitol on Thursday, February 6, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

In his statement, El-Sayed praised McMorrow for having the «courage» to challenge what he described as a rigged political system, accusing Democratic Party insiders of spending millions to influence the primary. While he did not name specific groups, the remarks appeared to reference corporate PACs and establishment party leaders such as Schumer.

He then invited McMorrow’s supporters to join his progressive movement to combat big money in politics and defeat the political establishment.

«Throughout this campaign, Senator McMorrow showed what it looks like to fight back against politics that rigs the system against too many of us. While we have policy disagreements, I never questioned whether Senator McMorrow would fight for a better America for my daughters and hers,» he said.

«The same party insiders she had the courage to challenge have been bullying anyone who opposes their chosen candidate. After spending $30 million to drown Senator McMorrow and me out, they’re now spending even more to attack me. It’s everything we are standing up against.»

«I welcome her supporters to our movement to stand up against money in politics, to put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for All. We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.»

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El-Sayed, who, if elected, would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator, is an epidemiologist who unsuccessfully ran for governor as an insurgent candidate in 2018. He has made support for «Medicare-for-all» a major component of his campaign.

The far-left candidate has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is a vocal critic of Israel amid its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as «genocide» against Palestinians.

And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has vowed not to accept PAC donations.

Abdul El-Sayed, speaks before Sen. Bernie Sanders and takes the stage at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point.

A victory by El-Sayed over Stevens in next month’s primary would give the far left a major win on a statewide stage, and further boost their momentum in the battle for the Democratic Party’s future.

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But Bennet warned against placing too much emphasis on the results in Michigan, as he pointed to other factors in the race.

«I don’t think that even if El-Sayed wins, that means the national party is moving dramatically to the left, as the left will insist if that happens,» he told Fox News Digital. «Some of this is idiosyncratic. There’s a huge Arab American population in Michigan. The Israel issue is more resonant there than it is in other places. And candidates matter.»

Fox News’ Hannah Brennan contributed to this story.