James Talarico deepfake video — Nov 2026

In early September, the campaign of GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton began airing a thirty-second political advertisement titled “King James” on Newsmax. The spot featured an AI-generated depiction of Democratic senatorial candidate James Talarico, utilizing manipulated audio and visual elements to portray him in a manner intended to characterize him as out of touch. The AI character mimicked Talarico’s physical appearance, including his hairstyle, facial features, and clothing style, while presenting him reading from a Bible and doodling with a crayon.

What happened

The advertisement used artificial intelligence to synthesize a likeness of Talarico and feature him speaking phrases stripped of their original context, such as claims that God is nonbinary or that Jesus was a radical feminist. Political consultants suggested the use of AI was likely a cost-saving measure, as producing a traditional thirty-second spot can cost up to one hundred thousand dollars, and the campaign may have faced difficulty securing rights to original footage of the candidate. The ad included a brief disclosure of AI use. While Talarico’s campaign decried the video as a smear and an attempt to put words in his mouth, legal experts noted that the advertisement likely falls under the protection of political satire, as the defamation standard requires that a reasonable viewer would fail to recognize the content as satire. The incident highlights the increasing use of AI in Texas political campaigns, with at least 164 ads nationwide employing the technology by early September. Despite existing state laws regarding AI in political advertising, the legal system has generally maintained a broad view of political speech, often protecting such content under First Amendment standards.