Stephen Miller’s trans claim meets DNC’s blunt retort

Stephen Miller’s – Stephen Miller posted a false claim that Texas Senate nominee James Talarico was transgender during a heated online exchange that erupted after the DNC promoted him on X. The DNC responded with a profanity-laced message, while Talarico’s team dismissed it as “

When Stephen Miller posted that James Talarico was “the Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender senate candidate,” the claim was built to stick—but it didn’t last online.

On Tuesday. Miller—White House Deputy Chief of Staff—falsely claimed that Texas Senate candidate James Talarico was transgender during a heated exchange on X. The timing mattered. The Democratic National Committee had promoted Talarico on its official X account after Texas Republican voters’ decision to nominate Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP Senate primary. Then President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton last week.

Talarico, who won a Democratic primary for Senate in March, is cisgender and heterosexual. His campaign says he’s drawn attention for outspoken allyship and advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality—positions Republicans have pounced on as he attempts to become the first serious threat in years to flip Texas blue.

The pushback came fast from the DNC. From its official account, the party posted a blunt reply to Miller: “shut up you ugly fuck.”

Talarico’s team met the moment with its own framing, calling it “Talarico Derangement Syndrome.”

Republicans have leaned into similar tactics across the race, and Talarico has insisted he will not retreat from his positions. He has stood by his approach even as opponents seized on various remarks. including a speech in which he said God was “nonbinary.” In an interview with CBS News. Talarico described the remarks as “intentionally provocative. ” while adding that “God can’t be defined by human categories.” He also said: “I know there are two sexes. men and women. I also know there’s a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities. and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”.

The Miller post wasn’t the only personal jab circulating. The Paxton campaign has increasingly leaned into insults and nicknames as the race escalates. Attorney General Ken Paxton has referred to Talarico as “Talafreako.” And on Tuesday. Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters repeated a string of attacks during a conversation with Newsmax—claiming. “He’s a vegan. He thinks God is nonbinary, [and ]he wants to mutilate children. He wants to put boys in girls’ locker rooms.” Gruters added, “People are done with that.”.

Talarico’s response was sharp, and rooted in facts he says matter more than mockery. “I’m an eighth-generation Texan. I’ve been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment,” he said. “I’m not vegan either.”

The fight has also included a broader effort to portray Talarico as soft on issues tied to children and morality. In that exchange—where Miller’s claim about transgender identity sits beside the accusations Talarico faces over his statements—his opponents’ arguments have collided with how his allies describe him.

Still, Talarico has remained focused on what he sees as inconsistencies from the Paxton side. Tuesday night, after Paxton’s victory, Paxton said that Talarico was “weird” for supporting trans kids. Talarico accused Paxton of using children as a political talking point while his office handled the Hoffman case leniently.

Talarico referenced Adam Hoffman, a former Waco attorney whose plea deal drew bipartisan outrage in Texas. Hoffman faced a first-degree felony charge of continuous sexual abuse of a young child. a case that ended in a mistrial after jurors deadlocked. Paxton’s office later reduced the charges as part of a plea agreement. Hoffman pleaded guilty to indecent assault and displaying harmful material to a minor. A judge sentenced him to 60 days in jail, and Hoffman was not required to register as a sex offender. The deal prompted criticism from Texas lawmakers in both parties and from advocates for the victim’s family.

In a video highlighted by his campaign from an interview with CBS News, Talarico turned the criticism back on Paxton. “If Ken Paxton is worried about freaks, he should stop giving Epstein-style sweetheart deals to pedophiles,” Talarico said. He later added: “Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in America. and it is costing Texans. it’s endangering our children. and it must end. ” and “The Epstein class has no place in Texas.”.

There is another contradiction sitting underneath the online war of words. Miller’s statement about what Democrats have nominated is technically incorrect as well. because transgender candidates have won legislative seats in the country. always as Democrats. Before U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride’s election to Congress—where she is the first out trans person to hold the office—McBride won election to the Delaware state Senate. In 2020, as the Democratic nominee, she became the nation’s first out trans state senator.

Even with those records on the table, the dispute in Texas has stayed intensely personal: a false claim about Talarico’s gender, a DNC retort that landed with profanity, and a campaign trying to regain ground while Republicans continue pushing nicknames and culture-war attacks into the open.

For Talarico, the message has been consistent even as the names and targets change. He says he’s not backing down from his advocacy, and he’s challenging his opponents to answer for how they handle the issues they claim to champion.

Stephen Miller James Talarico DNC Ken Paxton Texas Senate X exchange LGBTQ+ advocacy anti-trans attacks Talarico Derangement Syndrome