Talarico: ‘Preborn Babies Are Like Tapeworms and Have No Rights Unless They’re Trans, In Which Case, They Deserve to Live’
AUSTIN, Texas — Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico announced Tuesday that unborn human fetuses possess the moral and legal status of tapeworms and are therefore entitled to no rights whatsoever, with one notable exception.
“These are not babies. These are parasites,” Talarico told supporters at a campaign event in Austin. “A tapeworm doesn’t get constitutional protections just because it’s inside you. Same with a preborn child. It’s basic biology and basic decency.”
Talarico paused briefly before adding a clarification that drew sustained applause.
“That said, if the preborn child identifies as transgender, then it is quite literally one of God’s children and must be protected at all costs. We will fight for that child. We will affirm that child. We will ensure that child has access to life-saving gender-affirming care the moment it can fog a mirror or, in this case, develop a heartbeat.”
When asked how medical professionals might determine the gender identity of a fetus, Talarico expressed confidence in existing science.
“Look, the experts have been very clear,” he said. “We can detect certain markers. And if the parents know in their hearts that this fetus is trans, that should be more than sufficient. Bodily autonomy has its limits when a sacred trans life is on the line.”
The candidate’s campaign later issued a statement emphasizing consistency.
“James Talarico has always believed in a woman’s right to choose—except in those rare and beautiful cases where the fetus is living its truth. In those instances, forced birth is not only acceptable but a moral imperative.”
Republican opponents condemned the remarks as “bizarre even by Texas Democratic standards,” while several progressive advocacy groups praised Talarico for “nuanced reproductive justice that centers marginalized identities, including the identities preborn people may one day hold.”
Planned Parenthood Texas issued a carefully worded response:
“We support Mr. Talarico’s commitment to choice. We also recognize that some choices are more equal than others.”
Talarico, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, has previously described himself as “pro-science on everything except when science conflicts with compassion.”
Polling suggests the position is playing well among key donor demographics in Austin and Houston.
At press time, the candidate was reportedly working on additional policy distinctions, including whether preborn babies who identify as cats should receive taxpayer-funded litter boxes in neonatal intensive care units.
About Author
