Talarico campaign shows Times footage to rebut Ohio treatment rumor; critics fault timing

Right · 1A viral rumor claimed that James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Texas, spent a recent absence from the campaign trail at an Ohio behavioral health center. 1 Right · 1The New York Times reported on Monday (12 October) that it had reviewed time-stamped security camera images provided by Talarico's campaign. According to Fox News, the images show him at his Austin home between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, during a nine-day absence from the campaign trail. 1 Right · 1The campaign gave the images to the Times on condition that they not be published, for security reasons. Fox News described them as the clearest independent evidence yet supporting Talarico's account that he was home recovering from the flu. 1

Right · 1The campaign had said throughout that he had the flu. Talarico appeared virtually at an event on Sept. 30, visibly ill, and told attendees he had come down with the illness. 1 Right · 1Speculation grew after the campaign reposted footage from a February rally on Oct. 3 without initially saying it was months old. The campaign told the Times it routinely reposts older social media content. 1 Right · 1Spokesperson JT Ennis called the claim "a conspiracy theory that has been proven false" and said Talarico was excited to be back on the trail. Ennis then turned to Republican opponent Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General, saying it had been 87 days since Talarico challenged him to a debate. The campaign declined to add to its statement when Fox News Digital asked for a response to the criticism. 1

Right · 1Some Republican commentators criticized the campaign's timing. GOP strategist Mark Bednar called it "mind-numbing malpractice" not to prove the flu claim quickly, and Targeted Victory's Matt Gorman said going dark was "malpractice". Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross wrote that the footage "could have been released a week ago and quashed the rumors." 1 Right · 1In a Hot Air opinion column, David Strom wrote that the evidence is clear Talarico was not in an Ohio institution. He said the rumor gained momentum when prominent influencers pushed it, naming Megyn Kelly as one who would not let it go. 2 Right · 1Strom argued that those who pushed the story undermined a legitimate question: where Talarico was, and why his campaign went dark instead of explaining or sending out proxies. He wrote that the flu would have been a non-issue and the disappearance the real story. 2