Vance leans into personal attacks on trail
The gist
Vice President JD Vance suggested Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is gay and called him a "freak."
The sharp rhetoric comes as attention shifts toward the 2028 presidential race.
How it unfolded
- Oct 13, 2026At a rally in Texas, Vance suggested Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is gay, a comment criticized as homophobic.
- Oct 14, 2026CNN reported Vance branded Talarico a "freak" in Texas the previous day.
- mid-October 2026At a Michigan town hall, a young woman who said she cast her first ballot as a U.S. citizen told Vance he got her vote and asked why he was scapegoating immigrants.