MAGA Attacks James Talarico Twice In Two Days! Are They Worried?
Texas Democratic state representative James Talarico is no stranger to political attacks. This week, they came fast and strange. Within 48 hours, a pastor with direct ties to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth prayed for Talarico’s death on a podcast. Then Donald Trump piled on via Truth Social. The pattern is hard to ignore.
Talarico, 36, is a Democratic state representative for Austin and a Presbyterian seminarian running for the US Senate seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn. He won his party’s primary earlier in March, defeating fellow Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who has since urged Democrats to unite behind his candidacy. He is openly Christian, outspoken against Christian nationalism, and a known advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights.
The death prayer
The first attack came via Reformation Red Pill, a right-wing Christian podcast. On a 16 March episode, host Joshua Haymes and guest Brooks Potteiger, a Tennessee evangelical pastor described as Hegseth’s closest spiritual adviser, targeted Talarico by name.
Haymes placed Talarico in the category of “public enemies.”
He said: “I pray that God kills him.” Potteiger agreed. “We want him crucified with Christ,” he said. Haymes then added: “And if it would not be within God’s will to do so, stop him by any means necessary.”
The connection to Hegseth runs deep. The Defence Secretary has appeared on Reformation Red Pill at least four times and reportedly endorsed the show. He also brought Potteiger to the Pentagon last May to lead a prayer service, where the pastor declared Trump a divinely appointed leader.
Potteiger’s church, Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship, belongs to a network of congregations whose governing documents declare homosexuality “unbiblical.”
The Pentagon’s response
After HuffPost published the story, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson called it “fake news” and accused journalists of deliberately distorting Potteiger’s words. Potteiger claimed the story was “false,” saying his remarks referenced Galatians 2:20, a biblical passage on spiritual rebirth.
The second attack came from Trump on Truth Social. His post called Talarico “a FRAUD” and mocked his stances on gender, veganism and mask-wearing, among others.
Talarico’s response
On X, Talarico addressed Potteiger directly. “Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills,” he wrote. “You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me.”
Whatever the intended message, that response landed far better than any of the attacks.
Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills.
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) March 25, 2026
You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you.
I love you more than you could ever hate me. https://t.co/ejQg3U2Yq6
