Coverage dated October 16, 2026

Steve Deace questions Talarico’s mysterious ‘flu’ absence: ‘Something smells rotten’

Headline from Conservative Review

Where was James Talarico — and why isn’t his campaign offering a clearer explanation? The Texas Democrat’s two-week absence has been explained away as “the flu,” which has set off alarm bells for BlazeTV host Steve Deace, co-host Todd Erzen, and executive producer Aaron McIntire.

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  1. Conservative Review

    Steve Deace questions Talarico’s mysterious ‘flu’ absence: ‘Something smells rotten’ (opens Conservative Review)

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    Conservative Review's feed description

    Where was James Talarico — and why isn’t his campaign offering a clearer explanation? The Texas Democrat’s two-week absence has been explained away as “the flu,” which has set off alarm bells for BlazeTV host Steve Deace, co-host Todd Erzen, and executive producer Aaron McIntire.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

Steve Deace questions Talarico’s mysterious ‘flu’ absence: ‘Something smells rotten’ | Since Then