WASHINGTON — President Trump mocked Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on Wednesday — saying that “you can’t get elected as a vegan in Texas.”
Trump called Talarico, who recently became the subject of viral scorn for ordering a meatless taco, “a candidate that believes in six genders, and he takes it to Jesus Christ, and he’s wearing a mask six months ago — anybody wearing a mask six months ago doesn’t get it.
“He’s a vegan. He’s a vegan in Texas, and you can’t get elected as a vegan in Texas.”
Talarico said the Bible endorses abortion and that there are six genders. Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Trump teased the Democrat for being a vegan in Texas — a state that takes meat seriously. REUTERSTrump on Tuesday endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in next week’s Republican Senate runoff — defying conventional wisdom and polling showing that incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has a better shot of victory.
Talarico, a state legislator, trounced Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) in the March 3 Democratic primary and hopes to become the first non-Republican elected to statewide office since Ann Richards was voted as governor in 1990.
Republicans are working to define Talarico as an out-of-touch social progressive, contrary to his own self-branding as a moderate.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks during a primary election watch party on March 3, 2026. APVegNews reports that Talarico isn’t actually vegan — citing a March photo of him eating a turkey leg — but he pledged in 2022 to run a “non-meat campaign” for state office.
“I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign. So, we are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses,” Talarico said in a speech to the Texas Humane Legislation Network.
The meat-free campaign was “not just because it’s the right thing to do and the moral thing to do, but also, it’s, as all of you know, necessary to fight climate change,” Talarico reportedly said.
Paxton, scarred by a litany of scandals, faces an uphill battle if he wins the Republican primary.
The state AG trails Talarico in the RealClearPolitics polling average, but Trump predicted Wednesday that Paxton will defeat Cornyn next week “very substantially” and then Talarico in the Nov. 3 general election.
Talarico defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Democratic primary for the US Senate seat in Texas. SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty ImagesThe president touted his political prowess — after claiming yet another scalp Tuesday night with the primary-election defeat of libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
“I know how to win,” Trump said, before claiming bizarrely that “if we had Jesus Christ come down and count the votes, I would have won California.”
Talarico’s campaign denied he is a vegan and said the Democrat “is building a people-powered movement to take on this broken, corrupt political system.”
“As costs continue to rise and corruption in Washington runs rampant,” the statement read, “James is focused on taking power back for working people and bringing down the price of gas, groceries, and health care.”
