Country music star Kacey Musgraves and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have become embroiled in unexpected social media drama tied to the Texas Senate race, one of the most closely watched of the midterms cycle. Noem took to social media to pick a fight with the singer after she hosted James Talarico, the Democratic candidate, at her concert at the American Airlines Center in Dallas over the weekend. Musgraves didn’t take too kindly to Noem’s remarks.
She hit back with an apparent jab at the politician’s infamous anecdote about shooting one of her own dogs. Newsweek has contacted representatives for Musgraves and Noem via emails sent outside regular business hours. The Talarico and Paxton campaigns have also been contacted for comment via email.
Newsweek is awaiting responses. The feud comes against the backdrop of a competitive Senate race that could prove pivotal in deciding party control of the chamber. Democrats are seeking to flip a seat in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.
Recent polls have shown Talarico narrowly ahead. This is despite attacks from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee, over Talarico’s nine-day absence from the campaign trail while recovering from the flu. The dispute began after Talarico attended a concert by Musgraves during her "Middle of Nowhere" tour on Saturday night.
Photos and videos show the Democrat was warmly received at the show. He later took to social media to thank Musgraves. "Thank you for having me last night, Kacey Musgraves!" Talarico wrote in posts on Facebook and X, alongside photos from his front row seat.
This included one of the singer taking a selfie of the pair while dressed in a bedazzled top with "Dallas" written on it. Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, responded to Talarico’s post on Monday, saying she prefers Ella Langley. Noem also made a reference to the country singer's song, Choosin’ Texas, though she is from Alabama, as she endorsed Paxton.
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