Talarico hits back at Trump's claim he is 'incompetent,' insulting to Jesus, 'beyond woke'

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Friday, March 20, 2026

Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico pushed back this week against President Donald Trump’s assertion that the outspoken Christian candidate for U.S. Senate is insulting to Jesus Christ.

“The president of the United States just said that I insulted Jesus,” Talarico said during a clip of a recent speech that his account posted to X on Wednesday. He was apparently responding to comments Trump made last week during an interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, when he called Talarico “whacked out.”

In response to a question about which GOP candidate he might endorse in the primary runoff scheduled for May 26 between Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Trump pivoted to comment on Talarico, who defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, in the Democratic primary on March 3.

“The good news is their candidate is whacked out, with his six different forms of gender and all the things that I saw; the insult to Jesus — I mean, such an insult. This guy is whacked out,” Trump said. He went on to claim the GOP waited until Talarico won to release much of the opposition research they had regarding his far-left public theological views, which he has often made inseparable from his political positions.

“He is so woke, he’s beyond woke. I think he’s grossly incompetent,” Trump said.

Trump melts down over James Talarico: “He’s so woke, h-he’s grossly incompetent… He’s such an insult to Jesus” pic.twitter.com/VnT3BHIab9

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 13, 2026

In his rebuttal to the comments, Talarico listed his disagreements with Republicans, whose policies he characterized as insulting to Jesus.

"You want to know what insults Jesus? Kicking the sick off their healthcare while cutting taxes for billionaires. You know what insults Jesus? Deporting the stranger and separating babies from their mothers. You know what insults Jesus? Bombing innocent schoolchildren in Iran and sending our brave men and women off to die in another forever war," Talarico said.

"You know what's insulting to Jesus? Covering up the Epstein files and then refusing to prosecute a single person in them. I am not a perfect Christian; I don't claim to be. There's only been one perfect Christian, and He was crucified on a cross 2,000 years ago," he continued.

"Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. He told us, 'on Earth as it is in Heaven.' Can we imagine war in Heaven? Can we imagine bigotry in Heaven? Can we imagine poverty in Heaven? Then why do we tolerate these things on Earth?" he added.

The President of the United States said I insulted Jesus.

You want to know what insults Jesus?

Kicking the sick off their healthcare.
Bombing schoolchildren in Iran.
Deporting moms and babies.
Covering up the Epstein files. pic.twitter.com/tXp97ZhaTS

— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) March 19, 2026

Talarico's remarks prompted mixed responses on X, with some expressing support and others reiterating criticism and accusations that he politically weaponizes the Bible to support liberal policies.

Footage reemerged following Talarico's primary victory, showing him expressing views including claims that God is "non-binary," Jesus was a feminist, the Bible supports abortion, and that some atheists he knows are "more Christ-like" than some professing Christians.

In another clip that recently resurfaced, Talarico claimed that if Trump or Vice President JD Vance were to meet Jesus today, "they would ridicule Him as a single, childless hippie."

Since his theological assertions have come under scrutiny, Talarico's childhood church, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) near Austin, Texas, has reportedly increased security.

"As you probably know, James Talarico's campaign has brought a lot of attention to our church," St. Andrew's pastor Jim Rigby, who has raised eyebrows for his own theology, said in a Facebook post last Saturday.

"Most of that attention has been positive, but because we have also received some hostile press and an influx of negative communication, we have temporarily hired plainclothes security as a safety precaution starting this Sunday."

"The church elders will need to study this situation for a longer-term solution. We want you to know your safety is very important to us, and we are doing all we can to protect you. We just thought you had a right to know about this situation before you came to visit," he added.