Oct 12, 2026 · 22 min · 11 segments
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico of Texas is facing questions about his extended absence from the campaign trail after a controversial audio recording fuels speculation about his…
Megyn KellyHost
Talarico resurfacing Friday at the Austin City Limits Music Festival nine days after his last public appearance.
The Democrat participating virtually in a September 30th forum hosted by the US Hispanic Business Council, telling attendees he had been diagnosed with the flu the previous evening after visiting an urgent care clinic in Dallas.
His campaign telling the Dallas Morning News last Tuesday that the Democrat had fallen ill after an especially busy stretch of campaigning but would return to the trail soon.
Wren pointing to flight tracking records purportedly showing a private plane leaving Austin, Texas, Thursday night, landing at an airport near Cincinnati, then returning to Texas Friday morning, possibly after having picked up Talarico.
That Ohio airport located approximately 20 minutes from the Lindner Center of Hope, where Harris County, Texas, Judge Lina Hidalgo, a friend of Talarico's according to Wren, previously received treatment for depression.
Wren highlighting the timing of the return flight, which landed in Austin Friday morning just hours before Talarico then appeared at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
However, the flight records provide no indication of who was actually aboard the aircraft or whether it had anything to do with James Talarico whatsoever.
Independent journalist Nick Sortor escalating the allegations yesterday afternoon, publishing an audio recording he claimed confirmed Talarico had been receiving psychiatric treatment at the Lindner Center of Hope.
The recording purportedly capturing conservative influencer Ryan Amacher speaking over the phone to a woman identifying herself as an employee of the facility.
Amacher posing as Talarico's cousin, claiming he was trying to arrange delivery of a care package.
During the exchange, the woman appearing to indicate that someone named James Talarico had recently been discharged.
Um, let's see.
Looks...
Well, this is what it is today.
Looks like just dis- she was just discharged this evening.
That's why I don't have it.
Oh, he was discharged then?
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
And this is the Hope Place-
Talarico resurfacing Friday at the Austin City Limits Music Festival nine days after his last public appearance.
The Democrat participating virtually in a September 30th forum hosted by the US Hispanic Business Council, telling attendees he had been diagnosed with the flu the previous evening after visiting an urgent care clinic in Dallas.
His campaign telling the Dallas Morning News last Tuesday that the Democrat had fallen ill after an especially busy stretch of campaigning but would return to the trail soon.
Wren pointing to flight tracking records purportedly showing a private plane leaving Austin, Texas, Thursday night, landing at an airport near Cincinnati, then returning to Texas Friday morning, possibly after having picked up Talarico.
That Ohio airport located approximately 20 minutes from the Lindner Center of Hope, where Harris County, Texas, Judge Lina Hidalgo, a friend of Talarico's according to Wren, previously received treatment for depression.
Wren highlighting the timing of the return flight, which landed in Austin Friday morning just hours before Talarico then appeared at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
However, the flight records provide no indication of who was actually aboard the aircraft or whether it had anything to do with James Talarico whatsoever.
Independent journalist Nick Sortor escalating the allegations yesterday afternoon, publishing an audio recording he claimed confirmed Talarico had been receiving psychiatric treatment at the Lindner Center of Hope.
The recording purportedly capturing conservative influencer Ryan Amacher speaking over the phone to a woman identifying herself as an employee of the facility.
Amacher posing as Talarico's cousin, claiming he was trying to arrange delivery of a care package.
During the exchange, the woman appearing to indicate that someone named James Talarico had recently been discharged.
Um, let's see.
Looks...
Well, this is what it is today.
Looks like just dis- she was just discharged this evening.
That's why I don't have it.
Oh, he was discharged then?
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
And this is the Hope Place-
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