Social Media Posts Falsely Claim George W. Bush Endorses Democrat in Texas Senate Race

Several social media posts inaccurately assert that former U.S. President George W. Bush endorses Democrat James Talarico in the Texas Senate race, one of the nation’s most competitive midterm contests. Talarico faces Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, President Donald Trump’s chosen candidate. This race presents an opportunity for Democrats to turn a Republican seat blue and gain Senate control, as 35 seats are contested in the upper chamber. Currently, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority; Democrats must gain four net seats to secure control.

At 80, George W. Bush has largely stepped back from political life. His office announced in September 2024, months before the presidential election, his decision not to endorse any candidate, citing his retirement from presidential politics. Newsweek reached out to Bush’s office and Presidential Center’s media team for comments regarding the claims.

The Claim

Among the posts, Mykhailo Rohoza, a self-described disabled Ukrainian war veteran living in Canada, wrote on X: “The great idiot in the red cap has made the impossible possible. Republican former President George W. Bush is campaigning for a Democrat in Texas.” This statement seemed to target Trump and the MAGA movement’s red hats. Rohoza, with 43,000 followers, has now removed the post.

An anonymous user, “Corby Zone,” who has over 20,000 followers, shared a screenshot of an article mentioning “Bush family members” supporting Talarico. It added: “George W. and Laura Bush are backing James Talarico against Trump’s terrible candidate Ken Paxton.” The post reached nearly 750,000 views and was reshared by others repeating this claim.

The Facts

Newsweek found no public endorsements from George W. or Laura Bush supporting Talarico in the Texas Senate race. Neil Bush, George W. Bush’s brother, has crossed party lines, expressing support for Talarico due to his “integrity, civility, humility,” and openness to differing views, while voicing concerns about Paxton’s “judgment and conduct.” On October 20, Neil Bush stated on Facebook that he voted for Talarico, motivated by concerns over Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for Talarico’s character and principles.

Neil Bush criticized Ken Paxton, notably for challenging 2020 election results in other states to help Trump. He expressed concern about a culture prioritizing loyalty to individuals over principles, fearing a lack of accountability among those in power.

George W. Bush’s daughter, Barbara Bush, contributed $2,500 on September 23 to Lone Star Rising PAC, a super PAC supporting Talarico, as noted by the San Antonio Express-News citing FEC filings.

The Context

No Democrat has won a Texas Senate seat since 1988, making Talarico’s initial candidacy seem unlikely. However, the Silver Bulletin shows Talarico polling 2.5 points ahead of Paxton, 48.7 percent to 46.2 percent. VoteHub and RealClearPolling place the margin at 2.5 and 1.5 points respectively. Decision Desk HQ gives Talarico a 57 percent win chance, suggesting a close race rather than a secure Democratic gain.

Bush reportedly helped fundraise for six top Republican Senate candidates in battleground states this year, attending a fundraiser in Dallas for “Maintain the Majority” with Texas Senator John Cornyn as a special guest. The event excluded Paxton, who had defeated Cornyn in the state primary earlier this year.

The Ruling

The claim that George W. Bush endorsed James Talarico in the Texas Senate race is false. While some Bush family members support the Democratic candidate, George W. Bush himself has not. Misunderstandings of reports mentioning Bush family endorsements for Talarico appear to have led to the false claims.