Talarico torched after pastor's 'disgusting' Trump shooting remark as Cornyn says 'Texans should be outraged'
Cornyn publicly called on Talarico to condemn the pastor’s comments about the attempted assassination.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
The page reproduces a Fox News Digital report, while Yahoo is the publishing platform. The reporting has named sources and attributed statements, but the article’s partisan sourcing and framing temper its institutional credibility.
- Source type — Yahoo carries an attributed Fox News Digital report from an established but partisan national outlet.
- Source diversity — The article includes comments from the pastor and Talarico’s campaign, alongside several Republican sources.
- Author attribution — The reporting source is identified, but no individual author is named in the available article information.
- Editorial standards — The article attributes claims to speakers, but its framing and source selection show a partisan slant.
The article identifies the speakers and includes Rigby’s response and Talarico’s statement, but much of its interpretation comes from Republican campaign sources. It offers limited independent context for the disputed characterization of the sermon.
HOW WE SCORE ↗Rigby disputes Cornyn’s characterization, and the article includes Talarico’s condemnation of political violence. However, several Republican voices criticize Talarico, with little independent examination of the sermon or the competing interpretations.
- Counterarguments presented — Rigby says his words were taken out of context, and Talarico’s campaign points to his statement condemning political violence.
- Source diversity — The article quotes multiple Republican political sources but offers limited direct response from Talarico’s campaign.
- Loaded language — The headline and quoted political claims use strongly charged language.
- Omitted context — It does not independently assess whether the sermon’s words amount to making light of the attack.
The article’s headline and framing foreground Republican criticism of Talarico, and it includes background characterizing his campaign messaging in loaded terms. It does include responses from Rigby and Talarico’s campaign.
- Headline — Uses “torched” and emphasizes Cornyn’s call for Texans to be outraged.
- Source selection — Features criticism from multiple Republican political spokespeople, with fewer responses from Talarico’s side.
- Framing — Describes Talarico’s campaign messaging as “anti-ICE and open borders” and his pastor’s remarks through critics’ characterization.
- Language tone — Repeats highly charged descriptions, including “disgusting,” while attributing them to political sources.
Republished with credit
Republished from Fox News, with credit to the original publisher.
1,662 stories · 69.0–69.5 · updated Oct 9, 2026
This is Fox News's own score, and this article is credited to Fox News. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.
John Cornyn urged James Talarico to condemn his pastor’s sermon after the pastor referred to mixed feelings about the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. Talarico’s campaign pointed to his statement condemning political violence, while the pastor said Cornyn took his words out of context.
Cornyn said Talarico should condemn a Sunday sermon by his pastor, Jim Rigby, after Rigby referred to people having “mixed feelings” about the attempt on Trump’s life. Rigby also said violence would not solve the country’s problems. He accused Cornyn of taking his words out of context and said he did not speak for Talarico or the campaign.
Talarico’s campaign directed Fox News Digital to a Sunday statement in which Talarico said he was thankful attendees were safe and that political violence was unacceptable. The article also quotes Republican committee and party spokespeople criticizing Talarico, and reports that a preliminary review cited by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated the alleged gunman likely targeted administration employees, including the president.
Community verdict
20 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →Senate candidate criticized over his pastor’s sermon
Talarico's version of this story ↗Acting attorney general commenting on preliminary evidence about the alleged gunman
President targeted in the reported attempted assassination
Part of a bigger story
9 OUTLETSPoll coverage on the left, center and right reports James Talarico leading John Cornyn and Ken Paxton in hypothetical Texas Senate matchups. Cornyn and Paxton are also competing in a Republican runoff. Left-leaning outlets emphasize that the leads fall within the margin of error. Center outlets report the results with polling and runoff context, while one also places them against the state’s Republican advantage. Right-leaning outlets split: one questions the poll’s reliability based on its director’s political ties, while another focuses on Cornyn’s call for Talarico to condemn his pastor’s remarks.
- ARTICLES
- 9
- OUTLETS
- 9
- AVG CRED
- 66
- Attack of the Fanboy · James Talarico is now leading both Republican Senate candidates in Texas, a state where no Democrat has won a statewide race since 1994
- Foxsanantonio · James Talarico leads Cornyn, Paxton in new poll of the U.S. Senate race
- townhall.com · New Poll Shows James Talarico Leading Ken Paxton and John Cornyn – but There's a Problem
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