Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tried to turn his Senate opponent's brief disappearance into a scandal, but critics quickly flipped it back on him.
Paxton, the Republican Senate nominee in Texas, questioned on Saturday whether Democrat James Talarico really had the flu during his nearly two-week absence, prompting a wave of critics to call him a coward for ducking debates and to point to his own personal baggage.
"James Talarico claims he was missing for 13 days because he had the 'flu,'" Paxton wrote on X. "Who actually believes that? He was only seen for the first time in 13 days during a staged 15-minute appearance at a music festival. He owes Texans answers."
"Answers the Texans can get, when Paxton debates him," shot back progressive political commentator Molly Jong-Fast, jabbing at Paxton's silence when it comes to Talarico's invitations to a debate, including on Fox News.
"Face him man to man on a debate stage or stop whining," agreed Neera Tanden, a former Biden senior adviser.
"Maybe debate him and ask, you coward," taunted Democratic political strategist and health care advocate Melanie D'Arrigo.
Talarico revealed on Sept. 30 that he was sick, appearing virtually at a forum instead of in person. He returned to the trail Friday, with social media posts showing him walking the grounds of the Austin City Limits festival.
"James says he had the flu for 13 days. Ken, you disappeared to Europe with your alleged mistress over the Fourth of July while running for Senate," recalled political writer Mike Young. "Maybe sit this one out. You've already established that 'where were you?' is not a question you want normalized."
"The problem with Ken and his team is they're too stupid to comprehend how hypocritical this is, so they just puke it out," blasted political data analyst John Eakin.