Texas AG Ken Paxton calls James Talarico’s support for trans kids ‘weird’ in runoff victory speech

For years, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has built his political brand around grievance, confrontation, and attacks on LGBTQ+ people. On Tuesday night, moments after toppling Sen. John Cornyn in one of the most consequential Republican primary upsets of the Trump era, he returned to one of the movement’s favorite targets, transgender children.Standing before supporters during his Senate primary runoff victory speech, Paxton mocked Democratic opponent James Talarico and ridiculed his support for transgender youth, calling his support for trans kids “weird” while painting the Austin-area state representative as an extremist unfit for office.“When asked, what do you love outside of his family and friends?” Paxton told the crowd. “His first answer was trans kids. That’s weird, and that’s a radical guy.”Related: John Cornyn booted from Senate as indicted anti-trans Texas AG Ken Paxton clinches GOP nominationThe comments are a likely early glimpse into what could become one of the nation’s ugliest Senate races as Republicans increasingly center transgender people, especially trans youth, in their electoral messaging.Paxton’s victory itself marked a political earthquake in Texas. The four-term attorney general, long viewed as a MAGA insurgent despite years of scandal, defeated Cornyn, one of the most powerful and institutionally connected Republicans in Washington. President Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement helped propel Paxton over the finish line after months of attacks portraying Cornyn as weak, disloyal, and out of touch with the Republican base.During a speech that often veered from triumphant to taunting, Paxton hurled a string of insults at Talarico, mocking his faith and his support for transgender people.Related: Texas court further blocks AG Ken Paxton's demand for info on organization's transgender youth support“He’s a vegan who thinks God is non-binary and that there’s actually six biological sexes,” Paxton said. “It?