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- Derek Weston via fox - Most Popular
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Detransitioner says CNN denied her chance to confront Talarico at town hall
ReDetransitioner says CNN denied her chance to confront Talarico at town hall
Detransitioner Soren Aldaco says organizers of a CNN town hall with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico told her too late that she could not take part, and she criticized his past comments on gender.
Detransitioner Soren Aldaco says she was shut out of a CNN town hall with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico after organizers allegedly told her she could not participate. Speaking in an interview on "The Katie Miller Podcast," Aldaco said she had sought a place in the event, but the organizers did not respond to her request until the night before it took place.
Aldaco, 23, has said she was groomed online and went on to pursue medical treatment as a teenager. During the podcast interview, host Katie Miller asked her about her criticism of Talarico and what she would say to him. Aldaco said he should take part in a long-form, face-to-face conversation with someone like her, and that she had tried to get into the room at the town hall to deliver her message in person. "They actually didn't get back to us until the evening before and said, 'No, we can't get you in that room,' like 'you can't talk to him,'" she said.
The CNN and Jubilee Media town hall with Talarico was held on Oct. 14. It featured questions from audience members, as well as from moderator Erin Burnett. In the event, Talarico was asked about past remarks in which he described God as "nonbinary" and used the Bible to justify his support for abortion rights. A Republican small business owner, Sarah Gardner, asked him directly whether he believes the Bible is the absolute source of truth. Talarico answered "Yes," and then argued that the early church was marked by disagreement and debate rather than a single unified voice. He described his earlier comments as "provocative," drawing a parallel to Charlie Kirk's own interpretation of scripture.
In an interview last week, Talarico blamed Republican extremism for prompting some of the remarks that drew criticism, including claims that God is "nonbinary" and that there are six biological sexes. He said he had not run for the legislature to discuss those subjects, and that he had entered public service to talk about public education. He argued that Republican lawmakers at the Capitol were the ones who focused on transgender issues.
Aldaco also took aim at Talarico's position on gender transition policy. She said he had not acknowledged the consequences of his earlier statements, including his remark that he had been "misinformed" about there being six genders. She said she had tried to reach him over five bills, four years and two legislative sessions, and that he had not engaged with her on legislation that she said would have helped people who still identify as transgender.
Separately, the Texas Supreme Court ruled on June 26 that Aldaco had not missed the deadline to pursue her claims against a therapist and counseling provider. The court reversed a lower court's finding that her lawsuit was "time-barred" under the state's two-year statute of limitations for healthcare liability claims. CNN did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, and Talarico's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Aldaco's remarks.
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