President Donald Trump took aim at Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico during his remarks at the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, reviving a years-old comment in which the Democratic lawmaker described himself as “a Christian who hates Christianity.”

Speaking Friday evening at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., Trump delivered a series of jokes aimed at political opponents and public figures before turning his attention to the closely watched Texas Senate race.

Referring to Talarico as “James Talafreako” — a nickname the Democrat has since embraced by selling “I’m a Talafreako” campaign merchandise — Trump criticized the state representative’s platform before referencing his past remarks about Christianity.

“In Texas, the Democrats are running a candidate named James’ Talafreako,’ who hates guns, hates oil, hates sex, hates women, and says he is a ‘Christian who hates Christianity,'” Trump said. “Other than that, I think his platform is quite good.”

Trump also joked that Talarico resembled Alfred E. Neuman, the iconic mascot from Mad magazine, before predicting that Republican nominee Ken Paxton would win the race.

The president’s comments referenced a statement Talarico made during a March 2021 appearance on the “Activist Theology Podcast,” where he described himself as “a Christian who hates Christianity.”

“I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity, right?” Talarico said during the podcast conversation, which also featured a transgender-identified theologian.

Although the remark has resurfaced frequently in recent months, Talarico has argued elsewhere that he was referring to forms of Christianity that he believes have become overly intertwined with political power rather than rejecting the Christian faith itself. A lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Talarico is currently attending seminary in Austin and has often spoken publicly about the role his faith plays in shaping his political views.

The Texas lawmaker is mounting one of the Democratic Party’s highest-profile Senate campaigns of the 2026 election cycle after defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary. He will face Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who secured the Republican nomination with Trump’s endorsement.

The race is expected to become one of the nation’s most closely watched contests ahead of November, highlighting stark differences not only on issues such as immigration, abortion and energy policy, but also on the role of faith in public life.

Trump’s remarks come just weeks before the Republican Party’s inaugural Midterm Convention in Dallas, where party leaders are expected to rally supporters around the administration’s agenda and key midterm races.

The exchange also underscores how religious language continues to play a prominent role in American politics, with both parties increasingly framing their visions for the country through the lens of faith and values.