Security camera images released by James Talarico’s campaign appear to show the Texas Democratic Senate candidate at his Austin home during the first eight days of October, countering speculation about his whereabouts after he disappeared from the campaign trail.
Talarico had not appeared in public for almost two weeks and said he was recovering from a severe case of flu. His absence was seized on by Republican rival Ken Paxton, who questioned the explanation and helped fuel wider speculation online.
The campaign said the eight timestamped images showed Talarico at home every day from October 1 to October 8. The footage appeared to come from a backyard camera and showed a brown-haired man in different clothes at various times of day.
The images carry SimpliSafe watermarks and appeared to depict the backyard of Talarico’s house in Austin. Features visible in the garden were matched with recent satellite imagery of the property, although the images were low resolution.
Campaign spokesman J.T. Ennis described claims that Talarico had been elsewhere as “a lie designed to promote a pathetic conspiracy theory”. He said: “Last week James Talarico was home in Austin, Texas recovering from the flu.”
What happened during James Talarico’s absence?
Talarico’s last known in-person event in Texas took place on September 26 in Carrollton, a suburb of Dallas. Two days later, he travelled to New York City for fundraisers, including one held with Ohio Democratic Senate nominee Sherrod Brown and hosted by Robert De Niro.
On September 30, he withdrew from an in-person discussion with Javier Palomarez, president of the United States Hispanic Business Council, and took part virtually instead.
Talarico told the audience he had begun feeling unwell and had been diagnosed with flu after visiting urgent care in Dallas. He said he was running a fever and was “at my most contagious right now”.
His campaign subsequently cancelled an appearance at the Central Texas African American Civic Engagement Symposium, as well as other events through October 5, according to the organisation’s leader, Essien Ita.
President Trump and Mr Paxton referred to the absence during a campaign event in San Antonio the following week. Mr Paxton told supporters Talarico had not appeared publicly for 11 days and asked: “Where do you think they hid that little socialist?”
Talarico returned to public view on October 9, when he was filmed greeting festivalgoers at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. He later said he was “Feeling much better. Back on the trail!”
He also attended a Kasey Musgraves concert in San Antonio and gave interviews over the weekend. In one, he said his illness had been “nothing worse than a nasty case of the flu” and that he had stayed in bed, drinking plenty of liquids, while trying not to infect anyone else.
Paxton later wrote that Talarico “owes Texans answers”, adding: “James Talarico claims he was missing for 13 days because he had the flu. Who actually believes that?”
Social media users had also speculated, without evidence, that Talarico had travelled to Ohio for mental health treatment. An unverified recording was circulated in which someone appeared to ask the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason whether Talarico had been admitted.
The facility said Talarico “has never received treatment” there. Talarico rejected the rumours in a television interview, saying: “It’s a good reminder that you can’t believe everything you read on the internet.”
