Texas Democrat James Talarico’s Campaign Trail Disappearance Sparks Intense Questions

Rhein Amacher withdrew from a planned interview about the Talarico hospital claim after saying his attorney had instructed him not to give interviews, journalist Jesse Singal said Oct. 13, according to HuffPost.

Singal said Amacher described the advice as a “stand down order” covering podcasts and interviews, HuffPost reported. “I don’t want to potentially get myself entangled in any legal hot water at this point,” Amacher told Singal, according to the outlet.

HuffPost reported that Amacher and Nick Sortor had promoted the phone call as evidence Talarico had received treatment at Lindner Center of Hope, which denied treating him.

Conservative commentator Carmine Sabia apologized Oct. 13 and retracted his claim that James Talarico had received mental health treatment, The Washington Sun and The Advocate reported. Sabia said on X that he had relied on reporting available at the time but had gotten it wrong.

“I support Ken Paxton, but the truth matters more than winning on a lie,” Sabia wrote, according to The Washington Sun. The newspaper reported that Lindner Center of Hope had denied treating Talarico.

James Talarico returned to public appearances Oct. 9 at the Austin City Limits Music Festival after nine days away from the campaign trail, The Texas Tribune reported. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported that he also attended a Kacey Musgraves concert in Dallas on Oct. 10.

“I got the flu and I'm feeling much better,” Talarico told NBC 5 in an interview published Oct. 11. He told the station he visited his primary care physician and spent much of his recovery resting and drinking fluids while continuing some campaign work from home.

Talarico said he also wanted to avoid infecting others, NBC 5 reported.

A fuller recording of the phone call used to promote claims about James Talarico receiving psychiatric treatment included a woman repeatedly saying she had no one by that name in her records, PolitiFact reported, citing audio obtained by The Bulwark.

The Bulwark said Rhein Amacher supplied the full recording after Nick Sortor circulated a short excerpt presented as evidence that Talarico had been discharged. According to PolitiFact, Amacher identified himself during the call as “Tim” and claimed to be Talarico’s cousin.

PolitiFact also reported that Amacher acknowledged making up a code to try to bypass the facility’s restrictions on discussing patients. PolitiFact said it contacted Amacher and the Lindner Center of Hope but received no response.