A GOP strategist thought he had found the perfect way to attack Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico – but it backfired badly. So badly that even other conservatives said it went too far.

Talarico, a 36-year-old Christian minister and Texas State Representative, is currently leading Republican attorney general of Texas Ken Paxton 44-42, according to Real Clear Politics, and the GOP would love to prevent him from winning the seat in November.

Party strategist Bobby LaValley attempted to do just that on Wednesday when he published one of Talarico’s Facebook posts on social media in an attempt to make him look bad. The post was from May 2012, when Talarico was a schoolteacher in San Antonio. In it, he featured a picture of the University of Texas with this caption: “Looking forward to spending my birthday with the 6th grade boys at UT tomorrow!”

The context of Talarico’s original post was that he was taking his students on a field trip to the university.

LaValley decided to make things look more sinister. He wrote: “No teacher, let alone a U.S. Senate candidate, should ever post that.”

Democrat James Talarico posted this in 2012: “Looking forward to spending my birthday with the 6th grade boys…”No teacher, let alone a U.S. Senate candidate, should ever post that. pic.twitter.com/MWMZu1sDk3

However, the response to his effort was overwhelmingly negative. Even people who might agree with him thought the post was weak sauce:

Look I don't like Talarico and I think he probably is gay but this is silly. https://t.co/QHBYeWMleD

Putting aside that this was just a teacher taking his students on a field trip and shows how desperate YOU and MAGOPs are ---- what this also does is simply draw attention to Trump and his connection with Jeffrey Epstein.Well done... https://t.co/Y22RX8OilE

genuinely confused what the hit is here? https://t.co/GYi8Yi1nxC

I understand it’s confusing to the party of the Epstein class that despises education, but it’s actually fine for a teacher to take his students on a field trip to a local (very well ranked and well regarded in and out of Texas, mind you) university. You’re the sick one. https://t.co/SWHIZ57aK5

If this is the type of oppo they have on Talarico — I feel even better about our chances to replace Cornyn with a fabulous senator who actually cares about our public schools, the rule of law, and the people of Texas! Complete weirdos don’t understand field trips, I guess?! https://t.co/SQzOZs3nKV

This just reinforces that he really was a teacher who built community.This probably will help Talarico be identifiable for parents whose kids have a Class Twitter Feed.It communicates with the families. https://t.co/MWIazvE4Oo

Talarico’s campaign has inspired some extreme reactions from the MAGA crowd. Back in March, Brooks Potteiger, an evangelical pastor who is reportedly Pete Hegseth’s closest spiritual adviser, called the Texas Democrat “a wolf,” a “demon” and “a snake” on a podcast, and said he prays that “God kills him.”

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