The Lindner Center of Hope says Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico has never been treated at the Mason mental health facility, rejecting social media rumors that spread during his recent absence from the campaign trail.
Talarico reportedly had not held an in-person campaign event in Texas since Sept. 26. His absence fueled speculation on social mediaand drew criticism from President Donald Trump, Elon Muskand Republican opponent Ken Paxton, who questioned Talarico's whereabouts.
Conservative influencer Nick Sortor alleged Talarico was receiving treatment at Cincinnati-area mental health facility Lindner Center of Hope. Musk amplified the claim, reposting Sortor's post on X to his 241.5 million followers with the comment, "The Talarico campaign
is not being honest about what’s happening."
The Lindner Center, in a statement posted on X, said Talarico had never received treatment from the center.
Here's what to know about Talarico, the rumors surrounding his absence and the Lindner Center of Hope.
Who is James Talarico?
Talarico is a 37-year-old politician, Presbyterian seminarian and former middle school teacher from Round Rock, Texas. He has served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2018. He is currently theDemocratic nominee challenging Republican Ken Paxton in Texas' 2026 U.S. Senate race.
Was James Talarico in a mental health facility in Ohio? What to know about his absence
In addition to fueling rumors that Talarico was receiving treatment at the Lindner Center of Hope, Sortor also shared a screenshot on Xthat showed him on a late-night phone call with T.J. Roberts, a constitutional attorney and Kentucky state representative from Boone County. Per the post, the two discussed ensuring no HIPAA violations occurred while attempting to verify information related to Talarico.
However, Talarico and his campaign have repeatedly denied those claims, saying he was recovering from the flu.
The candidate disclosed his illness during a Sept. 30 virtual event with the United States Hispanic Business Council after initially being scheduled to attend in person. His campaign later confirmed the diagnosis to the San Antonio Currenton Oct. 7 and said he would return to campaigning soon.
"I just had the flu, and I feel much better. But it's a good reminder that you can't believe everything you read on the internet," Talarico told NBC News.
Talarico returned to the campaign trail Friday.
The Paxton campaign released a statement Friday seeking additional proof of Talarico's whereabouts, including a doctor's note from the Dallas urgent care clinic he allegedly visited, a video of him holding a newspaper showing the date and details about his return flight from a New York fundraiser.
The Lindner Center of Hope publicly rejected the rumors. In a social media post Sunday, the center wrote: "Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope."
Talarico responded to the center's post, writing, "I've never even been to Ohio."
I’ve never even been to Ohio 😂 https://t.co/J7EBNK7W5C
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) October 12, 2026
What is the Lindner Center of Hope?
TheLindner Center of Hope is a mental health treatment facility in Mason that was founded, in part, by Cincinnati businessman Carl Lindner Jr., whose family founded the United Dairy Farmers convenience store chain.
Lindner also founded American Financial in 1959. The company later evolved into an insurance business and became American Financial Group.
Before his death at age 92, Forbes estimated Carl Lindner Jr.'s wealth at $1.75 billion.
Today, his son, Carl Lindner III, serves as co-CEO of American Financial Group, which is headquartered in downtown Cincinnati. He is also the majority owner of FC Cincinnati.
The Lindner and Trump families have had ties for years. The Lindners hosted a family wedding at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in 2017, and Trump attended the event.
Reporters Alexander Coolidge of The Enquirer and Natassia Paloma of the El Paso Times contributed.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lindner Center of Hope says James Talarico was never a patient
