Billionaire Elon Musk helped spread a claim that Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico had been admitted to an Ohio mental health facility, telling his more than 240 million followers that the candidate’s campaign was keeping something from voters.
“The Talarico campaign is hiding something big that voters ought to know about,” Musk wrote on Sunday.
@EricLDaugh @nicksortor @RheinAmacher The Talarico campaign is hiding something big that voters ought to know about
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2026
The speculation began during Talarico’s nine-day absence from campaign events. Talarico’s campaign said he had the flu, but his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, stoked questions about his whereabouts.
Paxton’s campaign promoted a “Tala-Freak-Out Tip Line” seeking information about Talarico. President Trump joined in, calling the Democrat “MISSING IN ACTION!” and asking: “Where is he? What is wrong with him?”
Then came a purported explanation. Right-wing influencer Rhein Amacher posted audio from calls he said he made to the Lindner Center of Hope, a psychiatric hospital in Mason, Ohio.
In one clip, a woman can be heard searching for Talarico’s name before saying it appeared that he “was just discharged this evening.” Conservative influencer Nick Sortor shared part of the recording and called it proof that Talarico had been at the hospital. His post received more than seven million views.
Amacher said he had posed as Talarico’s cousin during one call to the facility. Asked for the security code required to discuss a patient, the influencer gave a code that he admitted he had invented.
A longer recording obtained by The Bulwark reportedly included a staff member repeatedly saying she could not find anyone named James Talarico in the hospital’s records.
Musk weighed in while the claim was spreading across X. His response alleging that the campaign was “hiding something big” received more than 870,000 views, more than twice the number received by the post he answered, according to The Washington Post.
Later Sunday, the Lindner Center addressed the rumors, announcing “Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope.”
Representative James Talarico has never received treatment from Lindner Center of Hope.
— Lindner Center HOPE (@LindnerCtrHope) October 11, 2026
Talarico shared the statement and added: “I’ve never even been to Ohio,” with a laughing emoji.
I’ve never even been to Ohio
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) October 12, 2026
Amacher’s phone records show calls to the hospital shortly before 9 p.m. on October 10, when the woman on the recording supposedly said Talarico had been discharged “this evening.”
Talarico was seen at the Austin City Limits music festival on October 9. The following night—October 10—he attended a Kacey Musgraves concert in Dallas.
PolitiFact compared those appearances with the recorded call and gave a “Pants on Fire” rating to the claim about Talarico being in the hospital.
The Associated Press reached the same conclusion. The news organization also reviewed photographs showing Talarico at home on several days while he was out sick.
Talarico had appeared by video at a Hispanic Business Council event on September 30 and told participants that a Dallas urgent-care facility had diagnosed him with the flu. He said he stayed away from the event because he had a fever and was still contagious.
[NOTE: Talarico has type 1 diabetes, which increases his risk of developing complications from influenza.]
“I got the flu, and I’m feeling much better, and I’m glad I had a chance to recover,” Talarico said after returning to the campaign trail.
Asked about the allegation that he had suffered a stress-induced episode and entered treatment, Talarico replied: “That’s not true. 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.”
I spoke with Rep. James Talarico earlier today in Dallas. I ask him about:
-getting the flu
-the claim he was getting treatment for a stress-induced episode
-a debate update
More tonight at 5 and 10 pm. https://t.co/uqhaXHcmtv
— Phil Prazan (@PhilPrazan) October 11, 2026