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Ryan Amacher, who played role in bid to damage campaign, has also made antisemitic and racist posts on social media
Far right (US)
Key player in false Talarico rumor has history of online posts invoking Nazi Germany
Ryan Amacher, who played role in bid to damage campaign, has also made antisemitic and racist posts on social media
Jason Wilson
Sat 17 Oct 2026 07.00 EDT
An influencer who played a key role in hoax claims that James Talarico was in a mental health facility has a long history of social media posts that favorably invoke Nazi Germany, express antisemitism and anti-Black racism, criticize miscegenation and call for “remigration” of refugees.
On X, the Lake Oswego, Oregon, resident Ryan Amacher, known online as Rhein Amacher, has described Muslims as “sub-human”, claimed that Black Africans are “monkeys” with low IQ, characterized immigrants as “vermin” and expressed support for the far right, including Germany’s AfD and the UK’s Tommy Robinson.
His attempt to damage Talarico’s campaign with false claims about a supposed inpatient admission to an Ohio facility fell apart quickly on Sunday night, but not before his claims were boosted by a staffer on the campaign of Talarico’s Republican rival, Ken Paxton. Since working for the Trump campaign in 2024, he has remained in the milieu of Republican politics and rightwing influencers.
Neither Amacher nor the Paxton campaign responded to requests for comment.
Last week, Amacher phoned the Lindner Center of Hope, a psychiatric hospital in Mason, Ohio, three times, trying to confirm a false rumor that Talarico had been admitted there. The rumor apparently began with a 9 October post by an anonymous X account, TickleTexts, which claimed Talarico had been “hospitalized at Lindner Center for HOPE”, and was picked up by the Republican fundraiser Caroline Wren, who falsely tied it to a private flight between Ohio and Austin. Before calling, Amacher had posted as fact that Talarico “was hospitalized at the @LindnerCtrHope” and tagged the hospital asking it to confirm.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/17/talarico-mental-health-facility-rumor-ryan-amacher
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Key player in false Talarico rumor has history of online posts invoking Nazi Germany