A video from 2020 just resurfaced, and it has James Talarico on the defensive. The Texas Democrat, who is now running for the U.S. Senate, made some strong remarks about police funding during a virtual talk. This happened back when the country was still dealing with massive protests over the death of George Floyd. The clip shows him arguing that it is “rich” for people to say “defund the police” is off-limits in politics.
He made these comments during a discussion with a group called Texas Rising. A report by CNN KFile first broke this story on Monday. Talarico was a state lawmaker at the time. He pointed out that his own state government had cut funding for health services and public schools for decades. He asked why police funding was treated differently.
Talarico’s team is moving fast to clear up the confusion. They insist he never actually backed the “defund the police” movement. A spokesperson named JT Ennis spoke to Fox News Digital about the situation. According to him, James neither called for nor backs defunding the police, while firmly backing Texas law enforcement and first responders.
The campaign says the video was taken out of context by his critics. They argue he was just pointing out hypocrisy in how politicians talk about budgets. Ennis also noted that Talarico has a track record of voting to send money to local police. He noted the candidate “voted to send billions of dollars to local law enforcement” alongside advocating for expanded mental health assistance, according to the New York Post.
There is more to the story from that same year. In a September 2020 interview with Honest Austin, Talarico said the current system is broken. He told the local publication, “Our system of policing is deeply broken.” A fresh and superior alternative must take its place.
He also questioned if armed officers should handle every small emergency. He admitted the slogan was “getting people all riled up” in his district. Still, he contended that voters recognized police should not handle minor traffic accidents or mental health emergencies. The Austin Justice Coalition received $2,500 from his campaign that month. The group wanted to cut the city’s police budget.
Talarico is now trying to soften his image for the general election. He has said some of his past comments “missed the mark.” He faces Republican Ken Paxton in a race that polls show is very close. The debate over policing remains a key issue for voters. Talarico’s record from 2019 through 2022 is described as complicated by CNN. The campaign donated to a group that wanted police cuts, yet the candidate says he supports law enforcement. The voters in Texas will have to decide which version of the truth they believe.
