A Republican congressman is facing backlash after claiming that a Democratic Senate candidate from Texas might be “demonic” for using Christian scripture to advocate for the poor and vulnerable.
During a Friday appearance on a show hosted by MAGA influencer Benny Johnson, West Virginia Rep. Riley Moore launched a bizarre attack on James Talarico, a Democrat who has gained national attention for weaving Christian theology into his progressive political message.
Johnson framed Moore as someone defending Christianity from supposed persecution before turning the conversation to Talarico.
“Now we just got to make sure that James Talarico doesn’t get into the Senate,” Johnson said, accusing the Texas Democrat of spreading ideas he claimed were “antithetical to the Bible.”
Moore escalated the rhetoric even further.
“I think he is demonic,” the Republican lawmaker said during the interview. “And I think we need to keep a watchful eye because there are other forces at work in my view.” (Video below)
The extraordinary claim, first reported by Raw Story, came after Moore complained about protesters who had demonstrated outside his church in West Virginia while he and his family were attending Mass. He did not allege that any laws were broken but suggested it was proof that Christians are under attack.
Meanwhile, Talarico’s political message has largely centered on the opposite idea: that Christian faith should inspire compassion for the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable.
The 36-year-old former middle school teacher and part-time Presbyterian seminarian has built his campaign around the teachings of Jesus, frequently citing scripture to argue for policies that help working families and challenge corporate power. He has also become a prominent critic of Christian nationalism, describing it as a “betrayal of Jesus of Nazareth” that elevates political power over faith.
On his campaign website, Talarico points to what he calls the example of “a barefoot rabbi” who taught two central commandments: love God and love your neighbor.
“There is no love of God without love of neighbor,” he writes, arguing that every person carries inherent dignity regardless of their beliefs or background.
Talarico has also gained viral attention for his sharp criticism of political uses of religion. When Republican lawmakers pushed a bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in schools, he delivered a now widely shared response.
“Maybe they should try following the Ten Commandments before mandating them,” Talarico said during the debate.
Despite that message of social justice rooted in faith, Moore and Johnson portrayed Talarico’s theology as dangerous — with the West Virginia Republican going so far as to suggest supernatural forces were behind it.
The episode highlights a growing divide in American politics: while some politicians invoke Christianity to justify war and harsh policies against immigrants, others like Talarico use the same scriptures to argue for compassion, economic justice, and care for the vulnerable.
And in this case, that approach was enough for a Republican lawmaker to label him “demonic.”
Watch the clip below via Rumble:
