Conservative commentators Benny Johnson and Nick Sortor have raised questions about Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s nearly two-week absence from public campaign events, sharing an audio recording they say links him to an Ohio mental health facility.
However, the woman’s identity and role at the facility have not been publicly established, and the facility has not independently confirmed that Talarico received treatment there. JUST FYI, the Lindner Center of Hope and Talarico’s campaign BOTH CONTRADICT this so called ‘confirmed’ b——t. The recording, shared by Sortor and fellow commentator Rhein Amacher, reportedly captures a phone call to the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio. During the call, a woman appears to say, “It looks like he was just discharged this evening. The recording has circulated online as evidence supporting claims about Talarico’s absence. The audio alone does not establish why someone may have been discharged or confirm the circumstances surrounding Talarico’s absence. Sortor described the recording as an exclusive report and alleged that Talarico had been a patient at the facility. He also questioned whether Talarico could handle the pressures of serving in the Senate, writing, “The job doesn’t get easier after being elected — it only gets MORE stressful. Sortor added, “I pray he gets the help he needs, but Texans need a real representative they can rely on. His posts go beyond the information established by the recording. The audio has not independently verified the underlying allegation, and the claims do not establish whether Talarico is fit to serve in public office. Johnson also amplified the allegation, claiming on X that Talarico had been at a mental health facility during his absence from the campaign trail. Texas voters deserve the truth. No independently verified medical records or official confirmation from the facility have been made public to substantiate the allegation. Benny Johnson and Nick Sortor faced criticism on social media after sharing allegations about James Talarico’s absence from the campaign trail. Some users accused the commentators of spreading misinformation and questioned the credibility of their reporting. A user, replying to Johnson’s post, wrote: “This paid Russian p—y @bennyjohnson is relying on a recording from @nicksortor— who pushes and posts lies, propaganda, conspiracy theories, and straight up lies. Another user wrote while quoting Sortor’s post: “Sortor and all these MAGA influencers are about to get sued to oblivion once this story comes out to be a lie. James Talarico and @TeamTalaricoHQ roll out the red carpet. His absence also drew criticism from Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who questioned the lack of public appearances. Talarico, a Democratic state representative, is seeking the seat in a closely watched contest.
The dispute comes as Texas prepares for the November 3, 2026, Senate election.
Talarico’s campaign has said he was recovering from the flu. “The ‘flu’ thing was a BIG FAT LIE,” Sortor wrote on X, accusing the campaign of misleading voters. “It is now confirmed that James Talarico was in a mental health facility during his 14 day absence from the campaign trail,” Johnson wrote. In a separate post, however, Johnson used more qualified language, saying a new video “reportedly confirms” the claim and adding, “If this report is true, he should suspend his campaign. His campaign said he had been recovering from the flu at home in Austin.
Talarico was absent from in-person campaign events for nearly two weeks before returning to the public spotlight at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 9.
None of this is true. When will you learn that this man is a liar and a Russian asset. The criticism comes as Talarico’s campaign has disputed the allegations, while the audio shared by Sortor and Rhein Amacher has not been independently verified as confirmation that Talarico received treatment at the facility.
Meanwhile, a third user commented under Johnson’s post “phony” and wrote: “This is a phony post from Benny Johnson.
