Texas – “Europe has committed cultural suicide. We will not let that happen to Texas or America,” Sen. Ted Cruz wrote on X as he attacked Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico over the candidate’s past comments about looking to Western Europe for inspiration on democracy.
In an Oct. 24 post, the Texas Republican responded to a video excerpt in which Talarico said Americans should look at other countries, particularly those in Western Europe, for ideas on how to improve democracy in the United States.
“James Talarico says we should look to Western Europe for inspiration. Take a look at Paris. Europe has committed cultural suicide. We will not let that happen to Texas or America. Get out and vote,” Cruz wrote.
The post puts Talarico’s remarks back in the spotlight as the Democrat campaigns against Republican nominee Ken Paxton in a closely watched Texas Senate race ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The clip was from a June 2, 2024, appearance by Talarico on The Weekend Show with Anthony Davis on the MeidasTouch Network, according to Fox News. In the interview, Talarico discussed the state of American democracy and argued that the country had not fully lived up to its founding ideals.
“We haven’t lived up to the promise of democracy,” Talarico said in the video. “And of course some countries are farther along than others, and sadly here in America, where that experiment started, we are backsliding.”
He added that the situation troubled him and said Americans still had work to do to build what he described as a true democracy.
Talarico then argued that the United States could learn from other countries.
“We should look as Americans to other countries, especially in Western Europe, for inspiration about how to continue with this experiment and ultimately reach that goal of a true democracy, of beloved community,” he said.
Fox News reported in September that the resurfaced remarks had generated criticism on social media. Elon Musk also responded to the clip at the time with a one-word post: “No.”
Talarico’s campaign defended the comments in a statement to Fox News Digital. Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said Talarico agrees with the majority of Texans that America is the greatest country in the world and Texas is the greatest state in the union, adding that the country should continue working toward a more perfect union.
Cruz’s latest criticism comes amid an increasingly contentious Senate campaign in which Republicans have repeatedly highlighted past statements by Talarico to argue that the Democrat holds positions outside the political mainstream.
The Texas senator has previously attacked Talarico over comments about capitalism and other social issues. During a September speech at a Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Cruz cited Talarico’s past remarks about dismantling capitalism as he urged voters to take Democratic candidates’ statements seriously. CNN coverage of the event reported that Talarico’s campaign described him as a “proud capitalist” in response to criticism over those earlier comments.
The Senate contest is also attracting substantial national attention and campaign spending. The Associated Press reported in October that Talarico was seeking to build a broad coalition of voters by focusing on affordability and economic concerns, while Republican-aligned groups and wealthy donors were spending heavily to support Paxton.
Cruz’s Oct. 24 post tied Talarico’s remarks about Western Europe to a broader warning about the direction of the United States and Texas. He urged voters to turn out in the upcoming election, framing the contest as a choice over the country’s future.
Talarico’s original comments focused on democratic institutions and the possibility of learning from other countries. Cruz, by contrast, used the remarks to criticize Western Europe’s current trajectory and argue that Texas and the United States should reject what he described as cultural decline.
The exchange adds to the growing stream of political attacks in the final stretch before Election Day, with both parties seeking to define their opponents through past statements and competing visions for the country.
