President Donald Trump on Wednesday mocked Texas Democrat James Talarico while predicting that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton would win the Republican Senate runoff and defeat Talarico in the general election.
Trump made the remarks while speaking with reporters before boarding Air Force One on Wednesday morning. He said Paxton, whom he endorsed this week, would “win very substantially” in the upcoming primary runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Trump then said Paxton would “go on to defeat a very defective candidate that believes in six genders, and he takes hits at Jesus Christ, and he’s wearing a mask six months ago, anybody wearing a mask six months ago doesn’t get it.”
Talarico, a prominent Texas state lawmaker, was pushed onto the national stage after winning the Democratic Senate nomination in Texas earlier this year.
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Conservatives have criticized him over past remarks, including his statements that “God is non-binary” and that “sex is a spectrum.”
Trump continued criticizing Talarico on Wednesday, saying, “And he’s vegan, he’s a vegan in Texas.”
“You can’t get elected as a vegan in Texas,” Trump added.
Trump on James Talarico: “He believes in six genders. He’s wearing a mask six months ago — anybody wearing a mask six months ago doesn't get it. He’s a vegan in Texas. And you can’t get elected as a vegan in Texas.” pic.twitter.com/AfKsuKFVma
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 20, 2026
Trump’s comments referred to a resurfaced 2022 clip showing Talarico giving a speech in which he described reducing meat consumption as “existential.”
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In the video, Talarico said, “We have heard, I think, heard more and more issues of animal welfare. I think, not just because it’s the right thing to do, and it’s the moral thing to do, but also… necessary to fight climate change.”
“It is now existential that we try to reduce our meat consumption, and that we try to respect animals,” Talarico said.
“So, I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign,” he continued. “So, we are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses.”
Talarico was seen wearing a mask during the speech.
The old remarks drew attention in Texas, where beef cattle production is a multibillion-dollar industry and the state’s largest agricultural segment.
Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, responded on X, writing, “Who wants to tell him that cattle is the #1 commodity in Texas?”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called Talarico a “freak” who wants to “ban BBQ.”
Cornyn also weighed in, writing, “Vote Republican this November. The steaks couldn’t be higher.”
After the backlash, Talarico’s campaign released a photo showing him wearing a Texas flag shirt and taking a large bite out of a turkey leg.
“Official Statement from James Talarico on Vegan Accusations,” the campaign wrote.
JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, responded to Trump’s Wednesday criticism in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“As costs continue to rise and corruption in Washington runs rampant, James is focused on taking power back for working people and bringing down the price of gas, groceries, and healthcare,” Ennis said.
“James is building a people-powered movement to take on this broken, corrupt political system — not any one politician, not any one political party, but the billionaire mega donors and puppet politicians who have made life more expensive for Texans while enriching themselves,” Ennis added.
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