Texas Senate candidate Talarico said US was 'backsliding' on democracy in resurfaced clip

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said in a resurfaced 2024 interview that the United States was "backsliding" on democracy and suggested Americans should look to countries in Western Europe for "inspiration."

Talarico made the remarks during a June 2, 2024, appearance on "The Weekend Show" with Anthony Davis on the MeidasTouch Network, well before becoming the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas.

"We haven't lived up to the promise of democracy," Talarico said. "And of course, some countries are farther along than others, and sadly, here in America, where that experiment started, we are backsliding."

"And that troubles me greatly," he continued. "But all of us still have so much more work to do to create a true democracy."

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Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico (left) is taking criticism for saying in a resurfaced sermon that the American flag is a "complicated symbol." (Tico Mendoza/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images; Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

Talarico added that Americans should look to other countries, "especially in Western Europe," for inspiration about "how to continue with this experiment and ultimately reach that goal of a true democracy, of a beloved community."

The clip drew fresh attention on social media this week, including from Elon Musk, who responded with a single word: "No."

Asked about the resurfaced remarks, Talarico's campaign defended the candidate's comments.

"James agrees with the majority of Texans that America is the greatest country in the world, Texas is the greatest state in the union, and we should always fight for a more perfect union," JT Ennis, a spokesperson for the Talarico campaign, told Fox News Digital.

Talarico, a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, entered the national spotlight earlier this year after defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for the Democratic Party's U.S. Senate nomination. He is facing Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the general election.

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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during a campaign rally at the Cailloux Theater on Aug. 31, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Republicans have repeatedly highlighted Talarico's past remarks during the campaign, including his statements that he thinks of himself as a Christian who "hates Christianity," that "God is nonbinary" and that there are six biological sexes. 

Talarico's campaign previously responded to criticism of the Christianity remark by saying he is a devout Christian who is criticizing what he views as the misuse of Christianity to justify hate, violence and greed.

In July, the conservative political action committee Lone Star Liberty criticized Talarico as an "America-laster" after the Democratic Senate nominee called the American flag a "complicated symbol." Talarico's campaign responded at the time that he believes the flag represents "freedom, opportunity, and hope."

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Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico listens to a question during the conclusion of a "Talarico for Texas: Frontera Tour" campaign rally at the International Center for Trade convention center in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 13, 2026. (Getty Images)