A weekend concert became a political sideshow Monday after
former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took a jab at two Texans —
Senate hopeful James Talarico and singer
Kacey Musgraves — and the country star fired back.
Talarico, the state’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, was fresh off a break from the campaign trail when he shared photos
of himself and Musgraves from her Saturday show in Dallas, writing:
“Thank you for having me last night!”
Related:
No, James Talarico was not in a mental health facility in Ohio
Noem shared a screenshot of Talarico’s post Monday morning on X, stating she would take country singer-songwriter Ella Langley over Musgraves any day.
“And if I’m choosin’ Texas, I’ll take Ken Paxton over James Talarico,” Noem continued, invoking Talarico’s Republican opponent and the current Texas attorney general.
A few hours later, Musgraves, who grew up in East Texas, responded with a pointed dig of her own: “I don’t think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it.”
Noem was widely criticized in 2024 after she disclosed in her memoir, “No Going Back,” that she shot
and killed her 14-month-old wirehair pointer, Cricket, in a gravel pit after the dog attacked her chickens.
Paxton vs. Talarico: At least they can agree on the Cowboys
Musgraves’ comeback took off online, garnering more than three million views in just a few hours. It joins a growing list of viral moments for Talarico, whose Senate campaign has become a magnet for social media attention as the Nov. 3 election approaches.
Over the weekend, Talarico pushed back against viral
rumors that he used the flu as a pretense to seek mental health treatment in Ohio. The facility at the center of the rumor publicly denied ever having the politician as a patient, while Talarico said he had never even visited the state.
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This article originally published at Kristi Noem took a jab at Texas’ James Talarico. Then Kacey Musgraves fired back.