得克萨斯州民主党参议员候选人2023年播客中称基督教“不过是惹麻烦的另一种说法”
2026年8月9日 美国东部时间早上6:00 / 福克斯新闻
作者：彼得·皮内多 福克斯新闻
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403001274112
詹姆斯·塔拉里科称其教堂收容即将被移民海关执法局遣返的非法移民
民主党参议员候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科在2023年一段重新浮出水面的采访中表示，他的教堂因收容即将被移民海关执法局（ICE）遣返的非法移民而引发争议。
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独家报道：得克萨斯州民主党参议员候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科在一段重新浮出水面的采访中吹嘘，他的教堂因收容一户即将被移民海关执法局遣返的非法移民家庭而引发争议，他在发言时还笑着表示“基督教不过是惹麻烦的另一种说法”。
塔拉里科是一名长老会神学院学生，现任民主党州众议员，他正在与共和党籍得克萨斯州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿角逐参议院席位，这一席位对两党都至关重要。
在2023年6月塔拉里科参加《得克萨斯影响力》节目“每周见证”的一段重新曝光的视频片段中，他将“我投身政坛的原因”归功于自己的信仰。当被问及信仰如何影响其政治立场时，塔拉里科以其教堂推进进步事业的事例为例，称“正义就是在公共场合践行的爱”。
“我们教堂在90年代积极参与 LGBTQ 权利运动。2000年代，我们因允许一名无神论者加入教会而引发关注，到了2010年代，我们又因收容一户几乎要被移民海关执法局遣返的无证移民家庭——一位母亲和她的儿子——再次引发争议，”他说。“这是我成长过程中所遵循的传统。正是这份信念让我在圣安东尼奥西部的公立学校教书，让我创办了一家教育非营利组织，也让我最终参选公职。”
得克萨斯州民主党提名候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科援引信仰为堕胎权辩护，称“圣经对堕胎只字未提”
2026年6月26日，得克萨斯州民主党参议员候选人、州众议员詹姆斯·塔拉里科在科珀斯克里斯蒂市希利亚德中心举行的拉美裔核心小组会议上发言。（卡蒂娜·曾茨/《圣安东尼奥快报》 via 盖蒂图片社）
“所以再重申一次，”他继续说道，“这种观点认为基督教不过是惹麻烦的另一种说法。”
在同一场采访中，塔拉里科谴责了他所谓的“基督法西斯主义”和宗教右翼，他指责这些势力试图通过强制推行“某种特定类型的基督教”来颠覆民主。
当被要求列举得克萨斯州境内基督法西斯主义的具体例子时，他提到了要求公立学校展示十诫的法律、允许学校用牧师取代辅导员的法案，以及该州的教育代金券计划。他还指出了禁止为儿童进行变性手术和激素治疗的法律，以及得克萨斯州的堕胎禁令。
“所有这些意识形态都源于这场基督法西斯主义运动，说白了，就像我刚才说的，就是利用信仰来行使赤裸裸的政治、社会和经济权力，”塔拉里科说。“我认为这对我们所有人都很危险，尤其是对我们州那些被边缘化和受压迫的群体。”
众议院提名候选人的激进法治愿景：“非法移民是什么？”
2021年10月2日，得克萨斯州议会大厦前举行反对堕胎和投票法的集会，图为该大厦远景。（蒙蒂尼克·门罗/盖蒂图片社）
这段重新曝光的视频引发了共和党人的批评。
共和党全国委员会发言人扎克·克拉夫特告诉福克斯新闻数字频道：“尽管塔拉里科看起来像个失败者，但他是个危险人物。”
“他毕生都在通过拆除边境安保、解散警方和废除监狱来帮助非法移民，企图把得克萨斯州变成贩毒集团和罪犯的天堂，”克拉夫特说。
JT·恩尼斯，塔拉里科竞选团队的发言人，回应福克斯新闻数字频道时表示：“詹姆斯是一名基督教神学院学生，毕生都在践行耶稣基督的教义——当他看到宗教和政治腐败时会挺身而出，因为有权势的人扭曲耶稣的教义来为仇恨、暴力和贪婪辩护，这一点也不符合基督精神。尽管像肯·帕克斯顿这样靠亿万富翁资助的政客攻击詹姆斯的信仰，但他将继续鼓励得克萨斯州 across the political spectrum 跨越政治分歧的民众，像爱自己一样爱邻人。”
恩尼斯表示，共和党全国委员会的“攻击完全是谎言”。
“詹姆斯反对解散警方，支持加强边境安保和移民执法——这就是为什么他投票支持拨款数十亿美元支持执法部门，呼吁增加边境巡逻人员，并且我们应该逮捕并遣返暴力罪犯和人口贩子——而不是母亲和婴儿，”恩尼斯说。“另一方面，肯·帕克斯顿的共和党同僚们已经抨击了他滥用职权为富裕捐助者和关系户谋利的记录，即便这让得克萨斯州民众的安全受到威胁，他还是让罪犯重获自由。”
民主党全国委员会未回应福克斯新闻数字频道的置评请求。
尽管共和党人试图突出他有争议的言论历史，包括称“上帝是非二元性的”以及存在六种性别，但塔拉里科在最近的福克斯新闻民调中领先帕克斯顿。
包括帕克斯顿在内的共和党人认为，塔拉里科的进步记录最终会在政治上对他不利。
民主党人关于移民拘留条件的惊人理想标准在得克萨斯州参议院竞选期间重新浮出水面
左图：2026年7月22日，民主党参议员候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科在得克萨斯州奥斯汀的新闻发布会上发言。右图：2026年8月4日，得克萨斯州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿在得克萨斯州艾伦的竞选活动中出席。（布兰登·贝尔/盖蒂图片社；布兰登·贝尔/盖蒂图片社）
帕克斯顿竞选团队的发言人麦迪逊·瑟西就这段重新曝光的视频发表评论，告诉福克斯新闻数字频道：“在塔拉里科的基督教理念中，你必须是跨性别者，不能支持石油和天然气行业，必须支持晚期堕胎，还必须接纳每一个寻求庇护的犯罪非法移民。”
“詹姆斯·塔拉里科憎恨基督教，他也亲口说过，”瑟西补充道。“塔拉里科所践行的唯一一种基督教，就是在激进跨性别运动的祭坛上牺牲儿童，而大多数得克萨斯人都会对此表示赞同。”
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帕克斯顿在本周早些时候休斯顿的一场集会后告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，塔拉里科的领先“并不令人意外”，因为“我们在击败现任参议员约翰·康恩的党内初选中落后了三个月”。
“我们还有三个月的时间，”帕克斯顿继续说道。“我知道，当我们整合资源，当我们开展宣传工作，一旦选民了解真实的詹姆斯·塔拉里科，而不是现在正在竞选的那个虚假的他……人们将自行做出判断。”
彼得·皮内多是福克斯新闻数字频道的政治撰稿人。
EXCLUSIVE: Talarico caught on tape giggling about his church housing illegal immigrants set for deportation
The Texas Democratic Senate candidate called Christianity ‘just another word for causing trouble’ on a 2023 podcast
August 9, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News
By Peter Pinedo Fox News
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403001274112James Talarico says his church housed illegal immigrants set to be deported by ICE
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said in a resurfaced interview from 2023 that his church caused controversy by housing illegal immigrants set to be deported by ICE.
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EXCLUSIVE:Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico bragged in a resurfaced interview that his church had stirred controversy by housing a family of illegal immigrants who were set to be deported by ICE, laughing as he said that “Christianity is just another word for causing trouble.”
Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian who serves as a Democratic state representative, is running against Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for a Senate seat that is critical to both parties.
In a resurfaced clip of Talarico speaking on Texas Impact’s “Weekly Witness” show in June 2023, he credited his faith for “why I am in politics.” Asked how his faith influences his politics, Talarico pointed to examples of his church advancing progressive causes, saying, “Justice is just love out in public.”
“Our church was really active in LGBTQ rights in the ’90s. We caught some attention by letting an atheist join our church in the 2000s, and then in the 2010s, again stirred some controversy by housing an undocumented family, a mother and son, who were close to being deported by ICE,” he said. “That was the tradition that I was brought up in. It’s what led me to teach public school students on the west side of San Antonio, led me to run an education nonprofit and then led me to run for office.”
TEXAS DEM NOMINEE JAMES TALARICO INVOKES FAITH TO DEFEND ABORTION RIGHTS, ‘THE BIBLE IS SILENT ON ABORTION’
Texas Democratic Senate candidate and state Rep. James Talarico speaks during the Hispanic Caucus at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, on June 26, 2026.(Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images)
“And so, again,” he continued, “this idea that Christianity is just another word for causing trouble.”
During the same interview, Talarico decried what he referred to as “Christo-fascism” and the religious right, which he accused of seeking to subvert democracy by forcing a “certain type of Christianity.”
Asked for specific examples of Christo-fascism in Texas, he pointed to a law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments, another allowing schools to replace guidance counselors with chaplains, and the state’s school voucher program. He also pointed to laws banning sex-change surgeries and treatments for children and Texas’ abortion ban.
“All these ideologies stem from this Christo-fascism movement, which, essentially, like I said, is just using faith to exercise raw political, social and economic power,” said Talarico. “I think it’s dangerous to all of us, but particularly to those who are marginalized and oppressed in our state.”
SOCIALIST HOUSE NOMINEE’S RADICAL LAW-AND-ORDER VISION: ‘WHAT ARE ILLEGALS?’
The Texas State Capitol is seen during a rally against abortion and voting laws in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 2, 2021.(Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)
The resurfaced clip has drawn criticism from Republicans.
Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft told Fox News Digital that “despite looking like a loser, Talarico is a dangerous man.”
“He has dedicated his life to helping illegals by dismantling border security, defunding police, and abolishing prisons to turn Texas into a paradise for cartels and criminals,” said Kraft.
JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, responded by telling Fox News Digital that “James is a Christian seminarian who’s dedicated his life to the teachings of Jesus Christ — fighting religious and political corruption when he sees it because there’s nothing Christ-like about powerful people twisting the teachings of Jesus to justify hate, violence, and greed. While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton attack James for his faith — he will continue encouraging Texans across the political spectrum to come together by loving their neighbors as themselves.”
Ennis said that the RNC’s “attacks are flat out lies.”
“James opposes defunding the police and supports stronger border security and immigration enforcement — it’s why he’s voted to send billions of dollars to support law enforcement, called for more border patrol agents, and has said we should be arresting and deporting violent criminals and human traffickers — not moms and babies,” said Ennis. “On the other hand, Ken Paxton’s fellow Republicans have blasted his record of abusing his office to benefit his wealthy donors and the well-connected, allowing criminals back on the street even as it made Texans less safe.”
The Democratic National Committee did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Despite Republican efforts to highlight his history of controversial statements, including saying that “God is nonbinary” and that there are six sexes, Talarico leads Paxton in a recent Fox News poll.
Republicans, including Paxton, argue that Talarico’s progressive record will eventually hurt him politically.
DEM’S STUNNING IDEAL STANDARD FOR IMMIGRATION DETENTION CONDITIONS RESURFACES AMID TEXAS SENATE BID
Left: Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico speaks at a news conference in Austin, Texas, on July 22, 2026. Right: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attends a campaign event in Allen, Texas, on Aug. 4, 2026.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Madison Cercy, a spokeswoman for Paxton’s campaign, commented on the resurfaced video, telling Fox News Digital that “In Talarico’s form of Christianity, you must be trans, you can’t support the oil and gas industry, you must support late-term abortions, and you have to let in every criminal illegal immigrant seeking asylum.”
“James Talarico hates Christianity, and he’s said it,” added Cercy. “The only form of Christianity Talarico practices is one that sacrifices children at the altar of the radical trans movement and most Texans would agree.”
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Paxton told Fox News Digital after a rally in Houston earlier this week that Talarico’s lead is “not surprising” given “we were three months behind” after his primary runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
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“We’re still three months out,” Paxton continued. “And I know that when we put our resources together, when we get there, we will be able to highlight things and once the voters know the real James Talarico, not the fake one that’s running right now … people will get to decide for themselves.”
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.