JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<p class='theClass'> bbb <a href=#> foo</a> aaa </p>

JavaScript

var $textNodes = $('.theClass').contents().filter(function() {
    return this.nodeType == Node.TEXT_NODE;
});

$textNodes.each(function() {
    this.data = "Hello world";
})