A pastor tied to a rising Texas Democrat drew laughs in church while talking about Americans having “mixed feelings” over the latest assassination attempt on President Trump.
Quick Take
- Rev. Jim Rigby, pastor of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, referenced the third failed attempt on President Trump and said some people had “mixed feelings,” prompting laughter.
- Rigby then said violence is not the answer, but the moment has fueled backlash because it came from a pulpit and followed rhetoric labeling Republicans and “MAGA” as “fascists.”
- Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has described Rigby as a spiritual mentor, putting pressure on Talarico to respond.
- Sen. John Cornyn and the Republican National Committee publicly demanded condemnation as the clip spread online.
What happened in Austin after the third attempt on Trump
Rev. Jim Rigby addressed the third reported assassination attempt on President Donald Trump during a Sunday sermon at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas. Reports say Rigby remarked that some congregants had “mixed feelings” about the attempt, and the room responded with laughter before he pivoted to say violence is not the answer. The comment came one day after the attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.
It shows how quickly political violence has become media content and campaign ammunition. The attempt, reported as the third against Trump, allegedly injured a Secret Service officer, intensifying concerns about security and political instability. A clip of Rigby’s sermon later circulated on X and sparked outrage, turning a local church moment into a national flashpoint in the Texas Senate race.
Why Rigby’s words became a political problem for Talarico
James Talarico, a Texas Democratic state representative running for U.S. Senate, has publicly identified Rigby as one of his spiritual mentors. That connection is central to the controversy: voters are being asked to judge not only a pastor’s rhetoric, but whether a candidate’s moral branding aligns with the voices he elevates. Conservative coverage emphasized the contrast between Talarico’s campaign emphasis on “love and kindness” and Rigby’s moment of laughter after the “mixed feelings” line.
The sources also describe Rigby as a progressive activist who has used sharp language about Republicans and “MAGA,” including framing them as “fascists” and comparing current politics to slavery-era moral conflicts. Even when a speaker adds an explicit condemnation of violence, that broader framing can still pour gasoline on a tense national environment. The unresolved issue is whether Talarico issued any clear response; the cited coverage says none was recorded at the time.
How Cornyn and the RNC are using the moment
Sen. John Cornyn and the Republican National Committee treated the clip as a test of basic civic decency in an era of repeated attempts on a sitting president’s life. Cornyn publicly demanded that Talarico condemn the remark, and an RNC spokesperson called the situation “disgusting,” highlighting the mentor relationship. Strategically, the GOP message is straightforward: condemn political violence without qualifiers, especially when it involves laughter in a church setting.
The deeper issue: elite institutions, politics from the pulpit, and public trust
The larger significance goes beyond one sermon or one Senate race. Many Americans—right and left—already believe major institutions are failing them, and that influential “elites” protect their own while ordinary people absorb the consequences. A church is supposed to be a moral refuge, yet it shows it functioning as a political venue where opponents are described in near-apocalyptic terms. That dynamic risks normalizing contempt and weakening shared rules against political violence.
James Talarico's Spiritual Mentor Makes Vile Joke About the Latest Assassination Attempt Against Trumphttps://t.co/Qt20zkzoVq
Like my writing? Check out my first book: Gaslight, How the Democratic Party Lost Its Mind to Radical Leftism and Abuses Voters in the Process,… pic.twitter.com/rIFoUgVRcy
— Amy Curtis (@RantyAmyCurtis) April 28, 2026
Key facts remain limited: details about the attacker, motive, and full investigative findings are not provided in the cited articles, and the public record of Talarico’s response is unclear in this snapshot. Still, the core dispute is well-documented—words from a prominent pulpit, tied to a statewide candidate, landed in the middle of an already volatile national moment. For voters, the immediate question is simple: who draws a bright line against political violence, and who treats it like a punchline.
Sources:
Talarico torched past pastor’s ‘disgusting’ Trump shooting remark; Cornyn says Texans outraged
