Talarico asked about his favorite drag queen, answers without missing a beat

James Talarico answering a question about his favorite drag queen.

U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico was out on the campaign trail recently and was asked by a man with a cellphone camera who his favorite drag queen is. Talarico hardly even paused before rattling off the name of a drag queen who is known for performing in front of children.

Talarico's answer comes as the candidate has been trying to distance himself from some of the extremist views he's espoused in recent years, including support for allowing athletes who identify as transgender to compete in women's and girls' sports, the idea that there are six sexes, and extreme views on white supremacy and the desire to "dismantle" capitalism, among others. 

Cellphone video shows Talarico approaching a supporter as he walked off a small stage as the event appeared to be wrapping up. "Mr. Talarico, so nice to meet you," the man behind the camera can be heard saying. "Who’s your favorite drag queen in Texas?"

"Oh, my gosh. Probably Alyssa Edwards," Talarico instantly responded, a huge smile plastered across his face. He then bolted the scene, perhaps realizing the mistake he'd just made.

According to Fox News, Alyssa Edwards is the stage name of a man named Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson who has been outspoken in support of drag queen shows for children and has performed at them in the past. He describes himself as "a drag performer that works with children." Johnson thanked Talarico for the endorsement in a post on X. Libs of TikTok posted a photo of Talarico's favorite drag queen on X, which can be seen below.

Talarico has been trying to shake the the nickname "Talafreako," coined by President Trump, but the drag queen answer could foil those efforts with fewer than 50 days until the midterm elections. “I call him Talafreako … because he is. He’s a freaky guy. He’s got something wrong with him,” Trump said last week. 

Last week, Talarico attempted to walk back past comments on a host of issues, telling Fox News that he "missed the mark on some of my past statements." Meanwhile, a campaign operative for Democrats in Texas was heard on undercover video saying that Talarico actually hadn't changed any of his views and that he was merely pandering in an effort to pick up votes from Republicans. 

Below, watch Talarico mention his favorite drag queen.