Detransitioner Says CNN Blocked Her From Confronting Talarico at Texas Town Hall

On Monday, Soren Aldaco sat down with Katie Miller for "The Katie Miller Podcast" and described a door she says was closed on her the night before it mattered. Aldaco, 23, is a detransitioner. She says she tried to get into a CNN town hall with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico earlier this month, and that organizers did not answer her request until the evening before the event, when they told her she could not be in the room.

The event was held on Oct. 14. CNN and Jubilee Media hosted Talarico, the Democratic nominee, in a format in which he took questions from audience members as well as from moderator Erin Burnett. Aldaco compared it to the "prove me wrong" style associated with Steven Crowder. She said the point of trying to attend was to speak with him directly about gender surgeries, because she believes conversation is the most effective way to deliver her message. She wants Talarico to hold a long-form, face-to-face conversation with someone like her.

Aldaco says she was groomed online and pursued medical treatment as a teenager. She has also been in court over it. On June 26, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that she had not missed the deadline to pursue claims against a therapist and a counseling provider. The ruling reversed a lower court's finding that her lawsuit was time-barred under the state's two-year statute of limitations for healthcare liability claims.

Miller asked what she thinks Talarico gets wrong. Aldaco pointed to his acknowledgment that he was mistaken when he once said there were six genders, saying he was misinformed. Her question is about consequences. She says she tried to reach him across five bills, four years and two legislative sessions, and that he would not talk to her about bills that she says would have helped even people who still identify as trans.

CNN did not return a request for comment from Fox News Digital, so the network's account of her request, and of why she was told no, is not in the record. Talarico's campaign also did not immediately respond.

At the town hall itself, faith and social issues came up. Sarah Gardner, a Republican small business owner, cited his past remarks calling God "nonbinary," his questions about how many genders exist, and his use of the Bible to justify his pro-choice position on abortion. She said those remarks have led many Christian voters to doubt the authenticity of his faith, and asked whether he believes the Bible is the absolute source of truth and God's final authoritative word even when culture disagrees. Talarico answered "Yes."

He went on to note that the early church, including disciples who knew Jesus, was really several churches marked by disagreement and debate. He described his earlier comments as "provocative" and compared his own reading of scripture to Charlie Kirk's.

In an interview last week, Talarico blamed Republican extremism for drawing out those remarks, including that God is "nonbinary" and that there are six biological sexes. He said he did not run for the legislature to discuss trans issues, that his first session was about public education, and that Republicans at the Capitol were the ones obsessed with the subject. He called it ironic that opponents clip his words to suggest he raised it.

What to watch is whether CNN or Talarico's campaign answers Aldaco's account as the Texas Senate race continues.