Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico sought to soften one of his more provocative past statements during a Fox News interview that aired Wednesday, telling anchor Brooke Taylor he was being “provocative” when he said in 2021 that “God is non-binary.”
According to Breitbart News, which first flagged the exchange, Taylor pressed Talarico directly on the remark during her appearance on “The Story.” She read his 2021 comment back to him — that God is “both masculine and feminine and everything in between” and therefore non-binary — and asked whether he still stood by it.
Talarico, a preacher as well as a candidate, did not repeat the phrasing. Instead, he said his point was theological rather than political.
“I was being provocative with that statement, I get that,” he said. “What I was trying to say is that you can’t use human categories to define God. And that’s not controversial theologically.”
A record under scrutiny
The exchange quickly moved from theology to Talarico’s voting record. Taylor noted that he had voted against SB14 — a reference to Texas legislation that Democrats have characterized as overly broad — and asked whether he regretted any of the votes he had publicly opposed.
Talarico defended his position by pointing to amendments he supported rather than rejecting the underlying concerns outright.
“Again, that bill was overly broad,” he said. “I supported amendments. And you can go back and check, this is public record. I supported amendments that would have given the power to make these decisions to local communities.”
The back-and-forth reflects the dual track Talarico is navigating as he runs statewide in Texas: presenting himself as a serious legislative operator while answering for comments and votes that make him a target on the right.
A Scripture-based challenge
Taylor, who noted that Talarico is a preacher, then turned to the Bible itself, quoting Mark 10:6. She told him the verse says God “made them male and female” from the beginning of creation, and that Scripture does not mention anything “in-between.”
Talarico responded by expanding the frame rather than contesting the passage.
“Well, I think God is so much bigger than every human category,” he said. “God is — is bigger than any of our understandings. And it’s important for us to remember that when we’re having these discussions. What is clear from scripture is that we are commanded to love thy neighbor as thyself.”
He did not offer a direct yes-or-no answer to whether he still describes God as non-binary, instead framing his earlier language as a rhetorical device meant to make a point about the limits of human description.
Why the moment matters
Talarico’s 2021 remark has circulated in conservative media for years, and his appearance on Fox News gave him a national platform to address it on his own terms. His decision to call the comment “provocative” rather than defend it untouched marks a shift in emphasis — an acknowledgment that the wording carried a cost, even as he stood by the broader theological claim.
The interview also highlighted how Taylor structured the segment: pairing the theology question with an immediate pivot to legislative votes, tying culture-war flashpoints to the practical record Talarico would carry into a general election. For a Democrat running in a Republican-leaning state, that combination is likely to recur in advertising and debates.
By citing his support for amendments devolving decisions to local communities, Talarico positioned himself as a pragmatist on a contentious bill rather than a blanket opponent. Whether that answer satisfies voters who oppose the legislation — or those who supported it — remains an open question.
His closing note, a reference to the command to love one’s neighbor, allowed him to end on common ground. But the segment made clear that his earlier words will keep following him, and that he intends to meet them by reframing rather than retracting.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/09/talarico-i-was-being-provocative-with-the-god-is-non-binary-statement/