Republicans run bizarre AI deepfake ad showing James Talarico singing about trans kids

This story originally appeared on Them.Turns out when you have nothing on your opponent, you resort to ole faithful: AI tools and transphobia.Citizens for Sanity, a pro-Trump PAC has bought TV ad space in Texas to air an AI-generated 15-second video featuring an deepfake of Democratic senate candidate James Talarico singing a song about transgender kids parodying “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music. The ad buy was announced exclusively in right-wing news outlet The Daily Caller.NEW: The Trump-aligned org Citizens for Sanity is dropping a six-figure ad buy in the Texas Senate race. The ad is a 15 second clip of AI-generated James Talarico singing a "trans kids" rendition of “Favorite Things." Obtained first by @DailyCaller: pic.twitter.com/JNY8vxYueG— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) June 9, 2026 “Boys in white dresses with blue satin sashes/Girls dosed with hormones til they grow mustaches,” the AI-generated Talarico, who is dressed in Maria’s iconic black dress and apron from The Sound of Music, sings in the ad. “Changing the gender of all your offspring/These are a few of my favorite things.” The ad never displays any disclaimer that the Talarico on screen has been generated by AI.While it is clearly meant to reference The Sound of Music in both dress and song choice, the melody that deepfake Talarico sings in the ad does not match the original for “My Favorite Things.” (Perhaps the G-O-P should re-listen to “Do-Re-Mi.”)Citizens for Sanity says that its mission is to “defeat ‘wokeism’” and anti critical-thinking ideologies,” which “threaten the very freedoms that are foundational to the American dream.”The GOP have been working overtime to sink Talarico’s senate campaign with similar tactics as the party used in the 2024 election, with political ads like “Kamala is for they/them.” Since his upset victory in the Democratic primary, Republicans have criticized Talarico for his support of trans people, especially tra