Trump says Texas Senate nominee Talarico is unelectable because he is vegan

President Donald Trump said his choice for the U.S. Senate in Texas will defeat Democrat James Talarico, whom he called unelectable because he is vegan.

Talarico won the Democratic Senate nomination in Texas earlier this year. He has drawn criticism from conservatives for past statements, including that God is non-binary and that sex is a spectrum.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One on Wednesday morning, Trump predicted that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom he endorsed this week, will win the Republican primary runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn by a wide margin.

Trump said Paxton will then defeat Talarico, whom he described as a very defective candidate who believes in six genders, takes hits at Jesus Christ, and was wearing a mask six months ago.

Trump added that Talarico is vegan. He said a vegan cannot get elected in Texas.

Trump’s comments referred to a 2022 speech in which Talarico called reducing meat consumption existential and said the campaign had become a non-meat campaign that buys only vegan products.

Talarico was wearing a mask during that speech. His comments drew attention in Texas, where beef cattle production is a major industry.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee posted on X that cattle is the top commodity in Texas. Sen. Ted Cruz called Talarico a freak who wants to ban barbecue. Sen. John Cornyn wrote that the steaks could not be higher.

The Talarico campaign responded by posting a photo of the candidate wearing a Texas flag shirt and eating a turkey leg.

Spokesperson JT Ennis said Talarico is focused on lowering the cost of gas, groceries, and health care and on taking power back from billionaire donors and corrupt politicians.