Bayliss Wagner at NYT:
After James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, spent more than a week with no campaign appearances because of what he and his aides described as a bad case of the flu, a false rumor circulated by conservatives exploded online.
By Sunday, a post on X claiming that Mr. Talarico had been at a mental health facility in Ohio — a story promoted by Republican allies of Mr. Talarico’s opponent, Ken Paxton — had been viewed millions of times. Then the Ohio facility took the remarkable step of publicly announcing on Sunday night that Mr. Talarico had in fact never been treated there.
“I’ve never even been to Ohio,” Mr. Talarico, who returned to the campaign trail on Friday, wrote in a post sharing the center’s statement. He called the theory “the craziest thing I’ve ever heard” in an interview with MS NOW.
The New York Times reviewed time-stamped images from a security camera at Mr. Talarico’s home, which were provided by his campaign on the condition they not be published for security reasons. The images showed Mr. Talarico around the exterior of the home and at its entrances between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8.
Probably Sunday's best moment in Texas politics: @CurrentRevolt loses it over how shoddy the work was by the MAGA influencers trying to convince you that Rep Talarico was in a mental hospital: "This story sucks, man...this is shit work, bro... I'm actually upset" https://t.co/oAwJnWvh00
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) October 12, 2026
MAGA operative's Talarico denial explodes in his face as tape of confession surfaces #RawStory https://t.co/vGC7BwIV2f
— #TuckFrump (@realTuckFrumper) October 12, 2026
