How a conspiracy theory about James Talarico raced through the right-wing internet

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IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.Skip to ContentDemocratic Senate candidate James Talarico at a rally on Aug. 31 in Kerrville, Texas. Brandon Bell / GettyShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 13, 2026, 2:56 PM EDTBy David Ingram and Natasha KoreckiA wild theory began to take hold within the Republican Party last week: Conservative media figures, donors, staffers, amateur sleuths and even some politicians began to spread a rumor on social media that a young Democratic star was struggling with his mental health and had secretly retreated to a hospital. One conservative activist even went undercover and said he recorded phone calls to an Ohio clinic to try to prove the theory was true.