Texas Senate candidate James Talarico flip-flops on border, gun issues

The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas has torched former President Joe Biden’s open border policies as he seeks to clear up past comments amid criticism that he is too radical to be elected in Texas.

James Talarico has hardened his stance on border security, pitting himself against the former president during a podcast interview on “Cogdell Law Uncensored” earlier this week.

The Democratic member of the Texas legislature has a far-left record that includes calls for the “destruction” of Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), which he calls the “secret police” and claims that the border should serve as a “welcome mat” for illegal immigrants.

He is currently the Democratic candidate facing Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton in the race for a Senate seat in Texas in November.

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“I called out Joe Biden for failing to secure our southern border, and I got a lot of backlash from my own party for doing that,” she told podcaster and attorney Dan Cogdell. “But I remember talking to my colleagues in the legislature who represent border communities and they were telling me about the absolute chaos that President Biden’s policies were causing.”

Those calls and his more moderate immigration stance emerged only after Talarico launched his Senate bid in the most populous red state in the United States, which has the most illegal immigration.

Talarico’s campaign officials, when asked repeatedly by Fox News Digital, failed to produce evidence to support claims that the progressive candidate clashed with Biden over border security before the Senate campaign began and while Biden was still in office.

During the previous presidency, as millions of illegal aliens flooded into the United States undetected, Talarico occupied his seat in the Texas House legislature.

“The Democratic Party is what we should be about making government work for the people, and our immigration system is a prime example of government not working for the people. So I’m a border security Democrat. I believe we need to have a sane and orderly process to make sure we know who’s coming into our country,” Talarico said on the podcast.

President Joe Biden speaks during an official transition event to thank Ron Klain for his work and greet his successor, Jeff Zients. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

while he was there defendant ICE Talarico said on the podcast this week that public safety should be a priority.

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“But I also think we need to keep out people who want to harm us, and the most important thing the government does is public safety,” he said.

Under the Trump administration, ICE has been tasked with focusing on the “worst of the worst” illegal aliens for arrest and deportation, especially those with violent criminal records.

“James has never supported abolishing ICE and has never supported greater border security, which is why he wrote legislation to modernize our ports of entry and called for more Border Patrol agents,” JT Ennis, Talarico’s press secretary, told Fox News Digital.

“Both parties have failed us on immigration, which is why James is running for Senate to keep our country safe by deporting criminals rather than preying on the mothers, babies and small business owners who have contributed to our economy for decades.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a runoff election night event on May 26, 2026 in Plano, Texas. (Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Speaking to Cogdell, Talarico portrayed himself as a defender of the Second Amendment while also calling for strict gun control methods.

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“I believe in the Second Amendment. I’m not choosing between the Bill of Rights. I believe in the Second Amendment as much as I believe in the First Amendment,” he said. “We have the right to bear arms and to protect ourselves and our families. We have the right to own guns for sport or hunting, but like every freedom in the Bill of Rights, this is not absolute.”

“We need to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals. We need to make sure we have safe storage laws and background checks to keep everyone safe,” the candidate said.

During the speech, he positioned himself as a moderate Democrat and chastised people on the political left who “try to take people’s guns” and people on the political right who “don’t want to see any regulation.”

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But just a few months ago Talarico said: favored “red flag laws” This allows judges to order Americans’ firearms taken away if they deem a person a danger to themselves or others. Talarico also accused Republicans of loving guns more than children.

Democratic Texas State Representative James Talarico speaks during a campaign launch rally on September 9, 2025 in Round Rock, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

“You cannot be a freedom party and control women’s bodies” Said at an event in 2024 With the Travis County Democratic Party. “You can’t be the party of family and you can’t love your guns more than our children. You can’t be the party of faith and worship at the feet of Donald Trump.”

Ennis said the candidate “has always believed, like the vast majority of Texans, that we should protect the Second Amendment while also enacting popular, common-sense measures like universal background checks that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.”

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Talarico has also distanced himself from child gender reassignment surgeries, sometimes referred to as “gender-affirming care,” and has said he does not support them, although he has often received criticism for his comments about children identifying as the opposite of their biological gender.

“I oppose gender reassignment surgeries on minors,” he told Cogdell, claiming that “people in power” were trying to distract from “corruption within our government.”

“So they’re going to use a tried and true playbook to get out of this,” he said. “Distraction and division. This is how corrupt public officials stay in power.”

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Talarico’s strong support for transgender children has raised eyebrows since he came into the national spotlight.

He has said he loves them many times, including on a podcast in 2023 when he was asked to name one thing he loves outside of his friends and family.

“I love it, I say that because it’s all on my mind, the trans kids who came to the state capitol yesterday to defend their humanity.” in question on the Superbloom Podcast.

At the time, he voted against a state bill that would have banned cross-sex hormones for minors.

Representative James Talarico, Vanessa Fuentes, and Jessica Weitz attended Featured Session: State of Existence: How to Maintain in 2024 at the SXSW Conference and Festivals at the Austin Convention Center on March 8, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Jason Bollenbacher/SXSW Conference and Festivals)

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“I just want to say, I love you, and so do so many people in this room, so many people in this great state. It may not seem like it tonight, but you are loved beyond measure,” Talarico said on the Texas House floor in 2023. Houston Chronicle.

“James opposes gender reassignment surgery for minors,” Ennis said. “While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up to both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and support Texan families.”

Paxton’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Talarico’s apparent setback at the border, the Second Amendment or transgender youth