James Talarico walks back past statements on gender and trans athletes
The Texas Senate nominee now opposes transgender athletes in girls' sports under certain conditions.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
James Talarico
Photograph: Antonioaesparza via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What this story says
- James Talarico, a Democratic nominee for the US Senate in Texas, has stated he previously "missed the mark" on past comments about gender.
- Talarico now says he opposes transgender athletes competing in girls' sports if it endangers safety or fairness.
- This marks a change from his previous positions where he opposed restrictions on transgender student-athletes.
- Talarico's comments were made during an interview with Fox News.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 14 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
54/100
Craft
49/100
Hype
55/100
14 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 3 of the 14 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for the US Senate in Texas, has revised statements he made previously concerning gender and transgender athletes. In a Fox News interview, Talarico stated that he had "missed the mark" on some of his past comments. He now says he opposes transgender athletes competing in girls' sports if it endangers safety or fairness.
Divergent accounts of past statements
Reports differ on the specifics of Talarico's past statements and his current position. WLTReport stated Talarico claimed there are "six genders" and is now trying to retract this. Fox News reported Talarico admitted he "missed the mark" on some past statements. Louder With Crowder reported Talarico once said "God is non-binary" and has since doubled down on those statements, though Breitbart reported Talarico stated he was "being provocative" with that specific comment. The Gateway Pundit reported Talarico "suddenly" says there are only two sexes after claiming there were "six genders."
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated digests mention James Talarico's previous claim that "God is non-binary."
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 2 times, most recently on 10 Sept 2026, 07:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
3 rated outlets
- Left-rated reports focused on Talarico's reversal of his stance on transgender athletes in girls' sports. KERA News and The Texas Tribune both highlighted that Talarico's comments on Fox News contrasted with his previous positions in the Texas House, where he opposed Republican restrictions on trans student-athletes. Mediaite reported Talarico ditched his belief that there are six biological sexes, stating he had "missed the mark."
Centre
2 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports from The Comeback and Temple Daily Telegram highlighted Talarico's statement that he opposes trans athletes playing in girls' sports if it endangers safety or fairness. Both reports noted this as a reversal of his previous positions taken while in the Texas House.
Right
9 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports from WLTReport, Fox News, Louder With Crowder, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, NewsBusters, Washington Examiner, and wfmd.com focused on Talarico's backtracking from past statements, particularly his claim about "six genders" or "six sexes." Several reports characterised his past statements as "absurd," "insane gender ideology," or "blasphemous." Washington Examiner and wfmd.com specifically noted Talarico said he "missed the mark" on these statements. Louder With Crowder and Breitbart also mentioned his "God is non-binary" comment, with Breitbart reporting Talarico called it a "provocative" statement.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover James Talarico walks back past statements on gender and trans athletes?
- Of the 14 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 21% are rated left, 15% are rated centre, 64% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is James Talarico walks back past statements on gender and trans athletes left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 14 rated outlets on this story, 21% are rated left, 15% are rated centre, 64% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of James Talarico walks back past statements on gender and trans athletes biased?
- James Talarico walks back past statements on gender and trans athletes is one event reported by 14 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting James Talarico walks back past statements on gender and trans athletes?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered James Talarico walks back past statements on gender and trans athletes?
- 14 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did James Talarico previously claim about gender?
- James Talarico previously claimed that there are six genders or sexes. He also reportedly stated that "God is non-binary."
- What is James Talarico's current stance on transgender athletes?
- James Talarico now states he opposes transgender athletes competing in girls' sports if it endangers safety or fairness. This represents a shift from his prior positions.
- Where did James Talarico make these statements?
- James Talarico made these revised statements during an interview with Fox News.
Read it at the source
14 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
3- In reversal, James Talarico says he opposes trans athletes in girls’ sports ‘if it risks safety or fairness’ (opens KERA News in a new tab)
- James Talarico reverses stance on trans student-athletes (opens The Texas Tribune in a new tab)
The Texas Tribune — is The Texas Tribune biased? Our profile of this outlet
- James Talarico Ditches Belief There Are Six Biological Sexes (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
Centre
2- 'I oppose trans athletes playing in girls sports': Top Democrat does not hold back (opens The Comeback in a new tab)
The Comeback — is The Comeback biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Talarico flip-flops, says he opposes trans athletes in girls’ sports 'if it risks safety or fairness' (opens Temple Daily Telegram in a new tab)
Temple Daily Telegram — is Temple Daily Telegram biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
9- James Talarico Tries to Walk Back Absurd Claim that There Are “Six Genders” (opens WLTReport in a new tab)
WLTReport — is WLTReport biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- James Talarico admits he's 'missed the mark' on some past statements (opens Fox News in a new tab)
- James Talarico Doubles Down On Blasphemous Believe That God Is “Non-Binary” (opens Louder With Crowder in a new tab)
Louder With Crowder — is Louder With Crowder biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Talarico: 'I Was Being Provocative' with the 'God Is Non-Binary' Statement (opens Breitbart in a new tab)
- Talarico Flubs Fox News Interview — He Surrenders Fast After Insane Comment Comes Back to Haunt Him (opens RedState in a new tab)
- James Talarico Suddenly Says There Are Only Two Sexes After Claiming There are “Six Genders” — “I Missed the Mark on Some of My Past Statements” (opens The Gateway Pundit in a new tab)
The Gateway Pundit — is The Gateway Pundit biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- The Most Interesting Moments of James Talarico’s Fox News Interview (opens NewsBusters in a new tab)
NewsBusters — is NewsBusters biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Talarico says he 'missed the mark' in claiming there are 'six sexes' (opens Washington Examiner in a new tab)
Washington Examiner — is Washington Examiner biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
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