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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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Several social media posts are falsely claiming that former U.S. President George W. Bush has thrown his endorsement behind Democrat James Talarico in the Texas Senate race, in one of the country's most competitive midterm contests.
Talarico faces Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, President Donald Trump’s pick.
The race is shaping up to be a unique opportunity for Democrats to shift a deep-red seat to blue and make gains in their attempt to seize control of the Senate, where 35 of the upper chamber’s seats are being contested. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority, and Democrats need to gain a net four seats next week to win control.
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At the age of 80, George W. Bush has largely receded from political life. In September 2024, a couple of months ahead of the presidential election, his office announced he would not endorse either candidate in the race, saying he had retired from presidential politics.
Newsweek contacted George W. Bush Presidential Center’s media team and George W. Bush’s office for comment by email on Monday.
The Claim
In one of the posts, Mykhailo Rohoza—who describes himself as a disabled Ukrainian war veteran now living in Canada—wrote on X: "The great idiot in the red cap has made the impossible possible. Republican former President George W. Bush is campaigning for a Democrat in Texas."
The comment appeared to refer to Trump and the red hats worn by the MAGA movement. Rohoza, who has 43,000 followers on the platform, has since removed the post.
Another post, shared on X by "Corby Zone," an anonymous account which has more than 20,000 followers, shared a screenshot of an Express News article mentioning that "Bush family members" support Talarico, adding: "George W. and Laura Bush are backing James Talarico against Trump’s terrible candidate Ken Paxton."
The post, which obtained nearly 750,000 views, was then reshared by other users repeating the same claim.
The Facts
Newsweek found no public statement from George W. Bush or Laura Bush endorsing Talarico in the Lone Star State’s close Senate race.
The former president’s brother, Neil Bush, has crossed party lines to support Talarico, citing admiration for his "integrity, civility, humility, and a willingness to listen to those with whom he disagrees," while expressing reservations about Paxton's "judgment and conduct."
"I have never posted a political message on Facebook not wanting to offend friends whose views may be very different than mine," Neil Bush said in a Facebook post published on October 20. "I’m breaking that tradition because I voted early today, and I voted for James Talarico for the United States Senate.
"My vote was motivated by two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for the character and principles I see in James Talarico."
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Neil Bush said his concerns about the Republican candidate included his decision to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in other states in an effort to help Trump remain in power.
"More broadly, I believe Donald Trump and those who have enabled him have done enormous damage to the Republican Party," Bush said. "I worry about a political culture in which loyalty to an individual takes precedence over loyalty to principle, and where those who hold power begin to believe they are no longer accountable."
George W. Bush’s daughter Barbara Bush donated $2,500 on September 23 to Lone Star Rising PAC, a super PAC supporting Talarico, according to the San Antonio Express-News, citing its third-quarter FEC filing.
The Context
No Democratic candidate has won a Texas Senate seat since 1988, making Talarico’s candidacy initially appear like something of a long shot. But Talarico is now polling 2.5 points ahead of Paxton in the Silver Bulletin, 48.7 percent to 46.2 percent.
VoteHub places the margin at 2.5 points and RealClearPolling at 1.5. Decision Desk HQ gives Talarico a 57 percent chance of winning, indicating a closely contested race rather than a secure Democratic gain.
Bush has reportedly helped to raise funds for six top Republican Senate candidates in battleground states this year, joining Texas Senator John Cornyn’s fundraiser in Dallas last month for Maintain the Majority, which he attended as a special guest, according to The New York Times.
The fundraiser left out Paxton, who defeated Cornyn in the state primary earlier this year.
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The Ruling
False.
George W. Bush has not endorsed Talarico in the Texas Senate race. While members of the former president’s family have expressed their support for the Democratic candidate, Bush has not done the same.
The false social media claims seem to have originated from the authors’ misunderstanding of reporting that members of the Bush family had endorsed the Democratic state representative, former middle school teacher, and Presbyterian seminarian.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Robert Greenall and John Fitzpatrick.
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