Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico addressed his recent absence from the campaign trail on Sunday, saying it was just a “nasty case of the flu.”
“I was in bed, drinking a lot of fluids. Unfortunately, the campaign forced me to work from home, so I didn’t even have full days off. But I didn’t want to be on the trail and I didn’t want to get anyone else sick. It’s important, I think, for leaders to be responsible in these times. And I’m happy to be back. I feel a lot better,” he told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth in a interview.
Talarico returned to the campaign on Friday; his last in-person event in the state was Sept. 26, and on Sept. 30 he spoke at a virtual forum, saying he wasn’t feeling well.
In his absence, some conservatives speculated that he was taking a break for mental health reasons. A right-wing influencer falsely claimed that Talarico was receiving treatment at the Lindner Center of Hope, a facility in Ohio.
When asked about these theories, Talarico replied: “The Internet is doing its job.”
“That’s not true,” Talarico said. “I just had the flu and I feel much better. But this reminds me that you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the Internet.”
The Lindner Center also denied the speculation on Sunday, posting on social media: “Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from the Lindner Center of Hope. »
Republicans realized Talarico was off track in the final weeks of the campaign, and even some Democrats admitted to NBC News that his absence was less than ideal in the tight Senate race.
State Attorney General Ken Paxton, Talarico’s Republican opponent, asked him to show “proof of life” with a photo of himself and a newspaper with the date.
President Donald Trump, seeking Paxton in San Antonio on Wednesday, noted Talarico’s absence and urged him to debate Paxton. Asked about Trump’s comment Sunday, Talarico said he agreed.
“I agree with President Trump. I think Ken Paxton should debate. The president says he should debate. Fox News said he should debate. The people of Texas said he should debate, and I think it’s mysterious that Ken Paxton hasn’t responded to a debate request in 85 days,” Talarico said.
“Ken Paxton asked for proof of life for me. I’m asking him for proof of a spine,” he added.
For the moment, no debate is planned. Talarico accepted debate invitations from several media outlets, but Paxton did not do the same.
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