Talarico Linked to Capitalism to ‘White Supremacy’ in 2020 Meeting, Said System Should Be ‘Dismantled’
Speaking to members of the Sierra Club in 2020, James Talarico described capitalism as an “oppressive system” that contributes to “climate change” and “white supremacy” and must be dismantled.
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The Democratic U.S. Senate nominee from Texas made the comments during a private Zoom meeting with members of the club, a recording of which was obtained by CNN’s KFile.
One meeting attendee asked the then-31-year-old state legislator whether he believed that “communities of color receive the most harm from impacts of climate change yet receive the least government support to deal with it.”
“I am so thankful you asked this question and also thankful young activists have really drawn the link between climate change, white supremacy, and capitalism in our country, and I think only in the way that all three of those oppressive systems work together are we going to be able to begin the process of dismantling them,” Talarico responded.
Later in the meeting, Talarico described how he would explain policy related to climate change to Texans living in districts that President Donald Trump had won in 2016.
“We all know that Texas has been a leader in oil and gas, but in many ways that’s like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s,” he said. “That industry is not gonna last. And if we wanna ensure we have an economy that’s gonna work for our children and our children’s children, we gotta be ahead of the curve and Texas has to lead instead of follow on this issue.”
A spokesman for Talarico, JT Ennis, acknowledged that some of the candidate’s past comments “missed the mark” in a statement provided to CNN.
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“James is a proud capitalist and agrees with the majority of Texans that racism, natural disasters, and a billionaire-controlled economy are all problems we need to address,” Ennis said, adding that Talarico supports the state’s oil and gas industry.
Talarico’s Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, responded to the news in an X post on Tuesday afternoon, describing the 37-year-old as a “threat to the Texas economy, to our prosperity, and to our entire way of life.”
“James Talarico has dedicated his career to trying to destroy the oil and gas industry,” Paxton wrote. He attached a clip of the Zoom meeting to his post.
As of late August, Talarico was polling slightly ahead of Paxton, according to a Real Clear Politics average.
Previously, Talarico has faced scrutiny for describing God as “nonbinary” and framing Mary’s consent as biblical justification for abortion.
Meanwhile, Paxton has faced renewed criticisms for his 2015 securities fraud indictment, in which he was accused of failing to register as an investment adviser. In 2024, Paxton agreed to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution to investors and complete 100 hours of community service. Formal charges have since been dismissed.
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