Lake Oswego, Oregon, resident Ryan Amacher, who operates online under the name Rhein Amacher, played a central role in amplifying unverified claims that James Talarico had stayed at an inpatient psychiatric center in Ohio. While that smear quickly fell apart after being shared by conservative commentators and a staffer for Republican candidate Ken Paxton, subsequent reviews of Amacher's online presence reveal a long-standing pattern of extremist commentary.
On social media platforms, Amacher has frequently posted content invoking Nazi Germany and its preceding paramilitary groups with apparent favor. His digital footprint includes statements characterizing Muslims as sub-human, labeling Black Africans with racist slurs, and describing immigrants as vermin. He has also voiced support for hard-right European political movements, including Germany's Alternative for Germany and the United Kingdom's Tommy Robinson.
Last week, Amacher targeted the Lindner Center of Hope in Mason, Ohio, placing multiple phone calls to press staff for confirmation of the fabricated hospitalization rumor. During one recorded conversation, he assumed a false identity, claimed he wanted to send a care package to a fictional cousin, and provided a made-up patient code to bypass security protocols. Although hospital personnel repeatedly stated they had no record of the individual, an edited portion of the call was packaged into a short video clip and disseminated widely across social media.
Before launching his telephone inquiries, Amacher had already posted assertions about the supposed medical admission as factual information, tagging the facility directly. Following the public unraveling of the stunt, he indicated in an online forum that influencers operate under different standards than traditional journalists. Although legal experts have noted that his attempts to solicit private medical data could expose him to legal scrutiny, his broader history of extremist commentary had largely escaped public attention until now.
Throughout his online activity, Amacher has repeatedly referenced historical figures and military units associated with the Nazi regime and World War II. He has expressed regret over the outcome of the conflict, shared images praising early 20th-century German paramilitary groups, and used Nazi-themed terminology in casual exchanges with other online personalities. Neither Amacher nor representatives for the Paxton campaign responded to requests for comment regarding his online history or his involvement in the political rumor.