Tyler, Texas - Vice President JD Vance recently spread some vicious and nasty claims about Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.

On Tuesday, Vance spoke at a rally at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, during which he took shots at Talarico after a man in the crowd yelled "I love you!" to the vice president.

"I love you, too, sir. In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I'm the vice president, not James Talarico," Vance responded, seeming to suggest Talarico is gay.

Vance didn't stop there, though.

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He went on to parrot nicknames President Donald Trump has also hurled at the politician like "Tala-freak-o," plus a few new ones of his own, calling him "fake and a fraud," and "a content machine."

He also made a bizarre claim about Talarico's internet use, based solely on the Democrat's support for the trans community.

"You gotta wonder what the internet search history of a man like that looks like," Vance said. "Ladies and gentlemen, you don't want to find out. Neither do I.

Vance's attacks come as Talarico leads a tight midterm race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose campaign has been marred by scandal.

The race is particularly crucial to the GOP's hopes of maintaining its majority in the House and Senate. Talarico has made notable strides in recent polls, sparking fears on the right that he may be able to flip a traditionally red seat.

When Vance was asked about his comments later that day, he doubled down, stating, "He's just a guy who shows a weird focus on transgender kids... typically people who say stuff like that tend to have some unusual search histories."