Talarico disappearance has Dem volunteers worrying and Trump asking, 'What is going on?'

President Donald Trump and Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton are raising questions about Democratic challenger James Talarico's whereabouts after the candidate spent nearly two weeks away from the campaign trail, as new reporting reveals concerns about his absence among members of his own volunteer network.

Talarico, who is challenging Paxton in Texas' closely watched Senate contest, has not appeared at an in-person campaign event since late September, citing a case of the flu.

The prolonged absence has prompted attacks from Republicans, including Trump, who questioned Talarico's whereabouts during a Wednesday campaign rally in San Antonio and later on his social media platform Truth Social, calling the Texas Democrat "MISSING IN ACTION." "TalaFREAKo has been missing for 12 days! Now, after looking for him throughout all of Texas, and beyond, probably even weirder places than anyone would think possible, he put out a statement that he has the 'flu.' 12 days is a long time to rid yourself of the so-called flu bug," Trump wrote Wednesday.

"What’s going on? We need a Senator that’s a proven Champion like one that has been, without question, the Greatest Attorney General in the History of Texas, and one of the Greatest in the U.S.A." PAXTON VENTS OVER LACK OF CAMPAIGN CONTROL AS DC ESTABLISHMENT HE ONCE BATTLED COMES TO HIS AID Paxton similarly questioned his opponent's absence, asking supporters at Wednesday's rally, "Where is James Talarico?" "If it's as tight as they claim it is, and he's got a lead the way they claim that he is, and you're a billionaire writing these big checks right now to Talarico, wouldn't you want a ROI, like a return on your investment?" conservative radio host Ben Ferguson questioned on "The Will Cain Show" Thursday.

"Why have we not gotten transparency from his campaign? What is really going on? Why did a guy disappear after doing an interview where he didn't look like he had the flu?" Talarico's absence comes during the final stretch of Texas' closely watched Senate race, with Election Day less than a month away.

The Democrat's last publicly documented in-person campaign event in Texas was Sept.

26, when he held a news conference in Carrollton addressing rising gasoline prices and the war in Iran , according to CNN.

Talarico subsequently attended a private fundraiser in New York and participated virtually in a Sept.

30 business forum, where he said he had been diagnosed with the flu at a Dallas urgent care facility the previous evening.

Talarico has Type 1 diabetes, which puts him at greater risk of developing serious flu complications, according to the CDC.

His campaign has said Talarico expects to return to in-person campaigning this weekend ahead of a publicly scheduled CNN town hall on Oct.

14.