(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is accusing Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico of racism following the resurfacing of a controversial tweet in which Talarico claimed that white Americans spread “the virus of racism.”
Talarico’s tweet, posted on May 8, 2020, addressed what he called the “virus of racism” following the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man, in Georgia.
“White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus,” Talarico wrote. At the time, he was serving his second term as a Texas state representative.
Still referring to the “virus of racism,” the Democrat politician said “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 continued.
Cruz blasted Talarico over the remarks, declaring, “This guy is a racist and a zealot. This is not Texas.”
This guy is a racist and a zealot.
This is not Texas. https://t.co/OJAeKFD7SQ
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 13, 2026
This is not the first time Talarico’s left-wing rhetoric has drawn scrutiny.
The Texas Democrat once declared that “God is nonbinary,” triggering criticism. He later claimed that the post was cringe.
Talarico is set to face Republican Ken Paxton in the general election. They are vying to replace incumbent and outgoing Sen. John Cornyn.
