President Donald Trump mocked Texas Democrat James Talarico on Wednesday and predicted that his endorsed candidate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, would win the state’s U.S. Senate race.
Speaking with reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump said Paxton would first defeat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff and then easily beat Talarico in the general election.
Trump endorsed Paxton earlier this week, giving the Texas attorney general a major boost in one of the most closely watched Republican Senate contests in the country.
The president said he expects Paxton to win the runoff by a large margin before moving on to face the Democratic nominee.
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Trump then turned his attention to Talarico, calling him a weak candidate and criticizing several of his past comments and political positions.
Talarico, a Texas state lawmaker, gained national attention after winning the Democratic Senate nomination earlier this year. Conservatives have repeatedly criticized him over past remarks involving religion, gender and climate-related lifestyle issues.
Trump attacked Talarico for past comments in which he said God is non-binary and that sex exists on a spectrum. The president also criticized him for previously wearing a mask and for supporting reduced meat consumption.
“He’s vegan in Texas,” Trump said while speaking to reporters.
Trump argued that being associated with vegan politics would hurt Talarico badly in a state known for cattle ranching, barbecue and traditional conservative culture.
“You can’t get elected as a vegan in Texas,” Trump added.
The remark referred to a 2022 video in which Talarico discussed animal welfare, climate change and reducing meat consumption. In that speech, he said cutting meat consumption had become an important issue tied to climate concerns and respect for animals.
Talarico also said at the time that his campaign had become a non-meat campaign and would purchase vegan products from local vegan businesses.
The comments resurfaced as Republicans began focusing more attention on the Texas Senate race and Talarico’s record.
Trump’s criticism reflects the broader GOP strategy of portraying Talarico as too far left for Texas voters, especially on cultural and religious issues.
Democrats, however, are expected to argue that Republicans are focusing on personal attacks instead of healthcare, jobs, education and the cost of living.
The Texas Senate race is expected to draw national attention because it involves both a heated Republican primary fight and a Democratic nominee who has quickly become a target for conservatives.
For now, Trump is making clear that he sees Paxton as the strongest Republican option and Talarico as a candidate he believes will struggle to connect with Texas voters.
Trump on Democrat Senate Candidate in Texas James Talarico: “He believes in 6 genders, takes hits at Jesus Christ, wearing a mask 6 months ago… He's a vegan. A vegan in Texas. You can't get elected as a vegan in Texas.” pic.twitter.com/H2qcvI5CXo
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 20, 2026
