Talarico draws scrutiny for closed meet-and-greet with Muslim leaders
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico has drawn scrutiny for recently participating in a meet-and-greet with Muslim community leaders, including an organizer whose coalition has participated in events with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has been designated as a terrorist organization in Texas.
According to an Oct. 18 Facebook post by Emad Salem, co-founder and vice chair of the Texas Progressive Caucus, Talarico met last week with the Muslim Democrat Caucus of Irving in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Among those tagged and pictured at the event, which was held at a halal barbecue restaurant, were Democratic Richardson Mayor Amir Omar, Irving City Councilman Fahad Ahmed, Democratic Texas state Rep. Salman Bhojani and Masoud Khayyat, who is a top coordinator for the Dallas Palestine Coalition.
The Dallas Palestine Coalition, a political and activist organization in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, advocates for Palestinian rights and has organized anti-Israel protests in the area. In 2017, they held an event at Dealey Plaza, the site of the Kennedy assassination near downtown Dallas, to protest President Donald Trump announcing that the U.S. would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Led by Khayyat, the protest drew approximately 1,000 people who waved Palestinian flags while chanting "Jerusalem, don't you cry, Palestine will never die," and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," according to local media.
The Dallas Palestine Coalition has also participated in events alongside the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of CAIR, such as a press conference in 2020 condemning "the annexation plan of Palestinian land by the Israeli government" as "the most offensive and greatest level of escalation which poses a catastrophic threat to the Middle East peace."
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization and a transnational criminal organization in 2025, though the federal government has not followed suit. CAIR has dismissed Abbott's designation as a baseless publicity stunt, according to The Associated Press.
Critics seized on Talarico's willingness to participate in the fundraising event with Islamic leaders.
"James Talarico is fundraising with Masoud Khayyat and Muslim leaders in Texas. Masoud Khayyat is a top coordinator for the Dallas Palestine Coalition, which is aligned with [CAIR], a literal terrorist organization," conservative political activist Riley Gaines posted on X. "Islam has conquered France. Do not let Islam conquer Texas with the help of James Talarico."
Conservative radio host Grant Stinchfield also highlighted the photo posted by Salem and accused Talarico of enabling "the Muslim invasion of Texas" with his associations.
Breaking News: James Talarico fundraises with the Dallas Palestine Coalition… a group with close ties to CAIR, the group designated a terror organization by TX Governor Abbott. Is this who you want in the Senate? https://t.co/exjIhzEjI4
— Grant Stinchfield (@stinchfield1776) October 20, 2026
Amy Mek, founder and editor-in-chief of RAIR Foundation USA, wrote an X post earlier this week detailing Talarico's interaction with Islamic interests, including securing an endorsement from Emgage Action, a nonprofit with ties to CAIR that has helped Talarico push legislation.
Talarico publicly thanked Insiya Aziz of Emgage Action in 2021 for testifying in support of House Bill 2039, which, as filed, would have added Muslim imams to the list of officiants authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies in Texas. The bill was amended on the House floor to strike the statute’s specific references to Christian ministers and Jewish rabbis. Thus, clergy of all faiths would have been covered by a general provision for anyone authorized by a religious organization. The bill passed the Texas House in April 2021 but died after being referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee.
Talarico, a Presbyterian (PCUSA) seminarian, has faced criticism for expressing admiration for Islam, likening Christian nationalism to al Qaeda, and espousing universalist theology that claims contradictory religions are different paths to the same God.
"Muslims love Jesus. They love Moses and Abraham. We are all branches on the same tree as the Abrahamic faiths," Talarico said in a 2024 clip that resurfaced earlier this year. "It's heartbreaking to watch extremists, whether they are Christian nationalists or whether they are the Taliban or al Qaeda, perverting these beautiful traditions that have so much in common."
