President Trump is turning James Talarico’s extended absence from the Texas campaign trail into a full-blown election issue—and he is no longer treating the campaign’s flu explanation gently.

The Democratic Senate nominee has not appeared at an in-person campaign event since late September. His campaign says he was diagnosed with the flu and will be back on the trail this weekend.

That explanation has not stopped the questions. It has only sharpened them as Texas enters the final weeks of a Senate race that could help decide control of the chamber.

Trump seized on the absence Wednesday night while campaigning with Republican nominee Ken Paxton in San Antonio.

Speaking to the crowd, the president said Talarico had disappeared and mocked the Democrat’s past comments about reducing meat consumption. The moment quickly became one of the rally’s most widely shared clips:

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Trump followed the rally with two direct statements on Truth Social.

In the first, the president called Talarico “MISSING IN ACTION,” asked what was wrong with him, and demanded that he “immediately report to a Debate Stage” against Paxton.

Trump pressed the issue again Thursday, saying Talarico had been missing for 12 days. He questioned why the flu had kept the Democrat away from public campaigning for that long.

Trump’s posts do not establish a medical timeline beyond what Talarico and his campaign have disclosed. They do put that explanation under a national spotlight in the middle of a close statewide race.

According to The Texas Tribune, Talarico said during a September 30 virtual appearance that a Dallas urgent-care clinic had diagnosed him with the flu the previous night.

He said he had been shaking many hands and did not want to risk passing the illness to a grandmother, baby, or anyone else. That virtual forum for the U.S. Hispanic Business Council came two days after his last reported in-person appearance.

The Tribune placed that appearance at a September 28 fundraiser in New York City. Talarico has not appeared publicly on the campaign trail since then, according to the report.

Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said Talarico was recovering and expected to return over the weekend. Ennis also argued that the Democrat had already held more than 100 public events during the race.

The campaign’s defense is straightforward: Talarico got sick, stayed away while contagious, and plans to resume campaigning. The diagnosis and recovery timeline remain statements from Talarico and his team rather than independently released medical records.

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He is also scheduled to participate in a CNN town hall on October 14. That appearance would put him back before a national audience less than three weeks before Election Day.

Then came the twist.

Trump’s demand for a debate gave Talarico exactly the opening he wanted.

The Democrat has repeatedly challenged Paxton to meet him onstage. Within hours of Trump’s post, Talarico publicly accepted the president’s call and tossed the pressure straight back at the Republican:

That response matters because Paxton has not committed to any of the debates already proposed.

Talarico has accepted invitations from CNN, Hearst, Nexstar, and WFAA, according to the Tribune. He also challenged Paxton to a Fox News debate moderated by Bret Baier.

Fox said it would host the event if both candidates agreed.

Paxton still has not said yes.

His campaign has instead hammered Talarico’s absence, with the Republican asking “Where is James Talarico?” from the rally stage Wednesday.

The crowd took up the line in a chant.

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The Associated Press reported that no debate has been scheduled in the Texas Senate race. The outlet noted that Trump’s demand created an awkward opening for Talarico because Paxton has not accepted any of the Democrat’s debate invitations.

That matters in a race drawing national attention. Republicans are trying to hold the seat while Democrats see Texas as one of the few places where they might expand the map.

The AP also placed the standoff in a much longer historical context. The last Texas Senate race without a general-election debate was in 2000, when Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison won reelection.

For Paxton, the stronger line is that voters deserve to see where Talarico has been and hear directly from him. For Talarico, the answer is that a debate would give both candidates the same stage and the same chance to explain themselves.

That collision leaves both campaigns with an argument they like. Paxton can keep asking why his opponent disappeared from in-person campaigning for nearly two weeks.

Talarico can keep asking why Paxton will not debate him once he returns.

The Texas Tribune captured that contradiction in its report Thursday:

Trump plainly intended to raise doubts about Talarico’s stamina and transparency. Instead, his challenge also raised a question for the Republican nominee: If Paxton is ready, willing, and able, why not put a date on the calendar?

For now, Talarico’s campaign says the candidate is recovering and will be back this weekend. Paxton’s campaign says Texans deserve answers about the absence.

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Trump has now made sure both questions—the illness and the debate—will follow the race into its final stretch.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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