'Politics as professional wrestling': Talarico says voters are tired of Trump-style name-calling

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep James Talarico, a Democratic candidate in Texas’s US Senate race, on Saturday, June 20, brushed aside the insult leveled against him by President Donald Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, arguing that “people are tired of this politics as professional wrestling.”

James Talarico is the Democratic nominee running for the US Senate against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. He is seeking to represent the state in the 2026 general election.

James Talarico says voters want real solutions

“I honestly get the sense that people across the spectrum, across the state, are tired of this politics as professional wrestling, right? You got these old guys lathered up in their fake tan, throwing corny nicknames at each other,” Talarico told MS NOW’s Eugene Daniels in a new interview that aired on Saturday morning.

Talarico argued that the attacks do little to address the issues voters actually care about, including the rising cost of living and affordability.

“What people are hungry for is elected officials who are going to do the work, who are going to bring both parties together and pass legislation that’s actually going to make their lives easier and better and less stressful,” he said. “And I’m putting my money on that. I really am.”

James Talarico dismisses 'Low-T' nickname

Daniels asked Talarico about personal attacks from his political opponents, including Paxton’s “Low-T Talarico” nickname.

“Honestly, I had to look up what that meant,” Talarico said. “I don’t think guys my age are really concerned about that kind of thing, but I think that these nicknames and these personal attacks don’t actually meet the needs of Texans.”

Talarico, who won the Democratic primary in March, is set to face Paxton in November in the race to replace retiring GOP Sen John Cornyn.

He argued that the attacks from Republican leaders only highlight what he described as their inability to address the country’s economic challenges.

“It exposes the fact that they have no clue how to get this economy back on track,” Talarico said.

“They have no solutions to lower people’s costs and raise their pay,” he continued. “So, if they have no affirmative argument to make to voters, I think that is a good sign for our chances in November.”