# Paxton Trolls Talarico with Flu Absence Posters

> Texas AG Ken Paxton shares 'missing' posters after James Talarico's 12-day flu absence.
- Title: Paxton Trolls Talarico with Flu Absence Posters · Newsweek
- Summary: Texas AG Ken Paxton shares 'missing' posters after James Talarico's 12-day flu absence. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton uses 'missing' posters to highlight…
- Keywords: ken paxton, james talarico, texas, senate, election day, flu, missing posters, campaign, Paxton, Trolls, Talarico, Absence
- Source: Newsweek — https://newsweek.com/ken-paxton-trolls-talarico-missing-posters-12-day-flu-absence-12543967
- Published: 2026-10-08T21:50:20+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: ken paxton, james talarico, texas, senate, election day, flu, missing posters, campaign
## Paxton Shares Missing Posters
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton posted 'MISSING: James Talarico. Missing posters are popping up across Texas as the search continues. LAST SEEN: 12 days ago'.

> MISSING: James Talarico. Missing posters are popping up across Texas as the search continues. LAST SEEN: 12 days ago
## Talarico's Flu Diagnosis
James Talarico disclosed his flu diagnosis on September 30 after being scheduled to attend a U.S. Hispanic Business Council event in Edinburg by video.
## Talarico's Campaign Timeline
Talarico last held a rally on September 16 and appeared in person in Texas on September 26 before traveling to New York City for a fundraiser with Robert De Niro.
## Paxton Campaign's Absence Count
Paxton's campaign tracks Talarico's absence with a count showing he has not held a rally since September 16 or appeared in Texas since September 26.
## Paxton's 'Where's Jimmy?' Campaign
Paxton's campaign released a milk carton-style graphic saying 'LOST: James Talarico has been missing for 11 days. If seen, please return to Robert De Niro'.

> LOST: James Talarico has been missing for 11 days. If seen, please return to Robert De Niro
## Trump's Flu Comment
President Trump claimed Talarico is sick because he 'has to eat meat for political reasons and is throwing up all over the place'.

> You haven't seen him in a couple of weeks... He's sick, because he's forced to eat meat for political reasons and he's throwing up all over the place
## Talarico's Campaign Response
Talarico's campaign says he will return to the campaign trail this weekend after being diagnosed with the flu.
## Paxton's Debate Challenge
Talarico challenged Paxton to a debate on Fox News, but Paxton has not agreed to any debates in his three attorney general races.
## Polling Results
A YouGov poll found Talarico leading Paxton 50 percent to 44 percent among likely voters as of Wednesday, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
## Talarico's Fundraising Edge
Talarico has raised about $72 million since launching his campaign, compared with Paxton's $16.8 million.
## Election Timeline
Early voting in Texas begins October 19, with Election Day on November 3.
## Key takeaway

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton uses 'missing' posters to highlight Democrat James Talarico's 12-day flu absence ahead of Election Day.