Texas voters get ‘Are you white?’ political texts targeting James Talarico

Key Points:

• Several viewers reported receiving text messages asking, “Are you white?” which referenced James Talarico calling white men “America’s top terror threat” and directed recipients to a political attack website funded by the American Political Action Committee (AMERIPAC).
• The texts and website cite Talarico’s comment following a mass shooting, where he stated that “radicalized white men are the greatest domestic terrorist threat,” based on a Department of Homeland Security report identifying white supremacist extremists as a major domestic threat.
• Rep. Marc Veasey criticized the messages as reminiscent of divisive racial politics from past decades and suggested they aim to capitalize on voter frustrations about issues like war and inflation.
• Political science expert Matthew Wilson noted the texts likely signal increased spending by outside groups in the competitive U.S. Senate race, reflecting a trend of cross-state political influence enabled by significant funding.
• The messages exemplify independent political spending allowed under the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, which permits corporations and unions to spend unlimited funds on political advocacy without coordinating with candidates’ campaigns.