James Talarico has not appeared at a public campaign event in Texas for twelve days. That is a long time in a tight race. His campaign says he has the flu. President Donald Trump calls it missing in action. The two sides tell very different stories. One story is about health. The other is about hiding.

Talarico was last seen at a news conference on September 26. He talked about gas prices and the war in Iran. After that, he went quiet. He attended a private fundraiser in New York. He joined a business forum online on September 30. He told people he got sick the night before. He has Type 1 diabetes. The CDC says this makes flu risks higher for him. His team says he wants to keep voters safe. They say he does not want to spread germs.

Trump did not accept that explanation. He posted on Truth Social on Wednesday. He wrote that Talarico has been missing for twelve days. He joked about looking in weird places. He said twelve days is too long for a flu bug. He asked what is going on. He praised Ken Paxton as a champion. He implied Talarico was avoiding the fight.

Ken Paxton asked the same question at a rally. He wondered where his opponent was. He pointed out the silence. Conservative radio host Ben Ferguson joined in. He asked about the money. He noted that billionaires are writing big checks. He asked if they want a return on investment. He questioned why there was no transparency. He noted Talarico did not look sick in recent interviews.

The worry is not just on the right. Leaked messages show Democratic volunteers are nervous. A private Slack channel has nearly four thousand people. One volunteer wrote about losing momentum. He said conservatives were blasting the candidate. He worried about the campaign trail. Another volunteer dismissed the concern. He said only people who do not want Talarico touring were upset. He claimed no one was genuinely worried.

Democratic strategist Ed Espinoza defended the break. He said it is better to rest now. He noted candidates are still on the road near Election Day. He said sickness gets worse at the end. He pointed to the ad spending. He said Talarico is still on the airwaves. He said the candidate has plenty of money. The campaign has held more than one hundred events. They plan to return this weekend. A CNN town hall is scheduled for October 14.

Fox News Digital asked for details. They wanted to know where he is recovering. They asked when he would reappear. The campaign did not respond. The notes do not show a reply. The silence continues for now. The race is less than a month away. Voters will decide if the absence matters. They will see if the ads replace the handshakes. The money is flowing. The questions remain.