Brandon Gill at RNC Dallas: Democrat James Talarico wears Christian faith like a 'skin suit'

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, September 09, 2026

U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, accused Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico of wearing Christianity like a “skin suit” at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, where several speakers placed faith at the center of their opening-day speeches.

The event kicked off Wednesday afternoon, marking the first time the Republican Party has held a national convention in a non-presidential election year. The convention comes less than two months before the midterm elections in November that will determine which party controls both chambers of Congress for the last two years of President Donald Trump’s second term. Democrats are seeking to regain control of both the House and Senate.

The lineup for the event will feature speeches from top Trump administration officials, including the president himself, Vice President JD Vance, along with federal, state and local lawmakers and candidates for elected office Sept. 9-10. 

As one of the speakers during Wednesday's lineup, Gill raised a plethora of concerns about the worldview of some Democrats who have an affinity for socialism, and their belief that “your Christian faith is patriarchal and needs to be dismantled.” 

Speaking about the U.S. Senate race in Texas, Gill derisively referred to Talarico as “James ‘God is Nonbinary, There are Six Genders, We Need to Dismantle Capitalism’ Talarico.” He accused the candidate of seeking to “hollow out your most deeply held Christian faith and wear it like a skin suit.” 

Expressing concern about what will happen if Democrats control the Senate, he pointed to what happened the last time Democrats held power in Congress: “We watched on Easter Sunday in 2024, the most holy day of the year for Christians, as Democrats turned the White House lawn into a celebration not of Christ’s Resurrection but of Transgender Day of Visibility,” he recalled of former President Joe Biden's term in office. 

Gill wasn't the only speaker to highlight their Christian faith. During his remarks, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner said America is “a country founded on Judeo-Christian principles, a country where people still go to church on Sunday, a country that was built on the backs of hardworking men and women that came before you and I [and] a place that still values family.”

“That is the America that we have today,” he declared. “That is the America that we must keep.” 

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins used similar rhetoric in her remarks as she warned about the threats posed by Democrats. “We charge into this fight with a heart full of joy and light and knowing that God has His hand on this country and on this work,” she asserted. 

Pastor Jack Graham of nearby Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, delivered the invocation to open the first-ever gathering. “We begin this convention in prayer because we trust in you; our hope is in you,” he proclaimed. “We ask that you would give us the faith to act courageously, to speak always boldly and to live obediently to your word, your way and your will. We humble ourselves before you with repentant hearts.”

Graham noted that the convention coincided with “the 250th anniversary of the birth of America” before offering a prayer for a “spiritual rebirth” and calling for a “spiritual revolution.” He asked God to “revive your people again, your church again, that we may live for you.”

“Let your people rise to the challenges of these hours and days, that we would walk in dependence and devotion upon you,” Graham added. “We rededicate our lives to you this day.”

In addition to offering prayers for Trump, Graham prayed for leaders who will “seek truth and righteousness and the conviction to uphold justice, to defend and protect life from the womb to the tomb, the born and the unborn, strengthen the family, our marriages and our homes [and] secure our nation.” He also expressed hope that leaders would “serve every citizen with integrity and compassion.”

“May we stand together as one nation under God,” he declared. “We pray for our military as they protect our freedom, our faith and our future.” 

After calling on God to “bring our troops home safely and soon,” Graham acknowledged a much more solemn anniversary taking place this week: the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. He described “eternal vigilance” as “the price of freedom” before asking for God’s protection. 

“Throughout the hours of this convention, may we, by your Holy Spirit, display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control, the fruit of the Spirit. We desire to clarify our vision and fortify our faith and deepen our love for you, our Lord, and our country. Dear God, please call America back to you. You are the one to make America greater again. And with moral clarity and personal responsibility, we will walk in reverence to you,” he vowed. 

Graham called on God to “guide every decision made in this body,” adding, “We know that our ultimate hope is not in politics, parties or personalities, but in You.”