James Talarico Is No Fan of Columbus Day– townhall.com

Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico doesn’t appear to be a big fan of the discoverer of the Americas, the great Christopher Columbus.

In a web interview uploaded to Instagram and YouTube with Democrat darling Beto O’Rourke, Talarico remarked “I know it’s Indigenous Peoples Day, so some folks have off of work.”

The move to rebrand Columbus Day has been pursued by radical leftists to “[recognize] the resilience and diversity of Indigenous Peoples in the United States” and to stop celebrations of one of Europe’s greatest navigators because of “the past and the ongoing effects of colonialism today.” Advocacy groups have encouraged the complete erasure of Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day.

Talarico’s views weren’t isolated to 2023. In 2019, Talarico told a congregation that the American flag was a “complicated symbol.” One year later, Talarico would describe whiteness as a “virus” which is spread “wherever we go.” The only cure, according to Talarico, is to proclaim “loudly and unequivocally that Black Lives Matter.”

Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico in 2019: “The American flag is such a complicated symbol for most of us.”
https://t.co/IiXlggFRCO

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 26, 2026

White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus. But we spread it wherever we go—through our words, our actions, and our systems. We don’t have to be showing symptoms—like a white hood or a Confederate flag—to be contagious.

— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) May 8, 2020

Lone Star Liberty PAC, a pro-Ken Paxton group, has uploaded a meme from an iconic scene in The Sopranos to hit back at Talarico’s take.

Far-left liberal James talarico calls Columbus Day WHAT?!? #TXsen https://t.co/G56J3oeKk6

— Lone Star Liberty PAC (@LoneStar_PAC) October 12, 2026