President Donald Trump slammed Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico during a press gaggle on Wednesday, falsely accusing him of being vegan.
“He’s a vegan in Texas. You can’t get elected as a vegan in Texas,” Trump said.
The comments come a day after the president endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas. Paxton will face Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in a primary runoff for the Republican nomination on May 26. Talarico secured his nomination in March after defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). An April poll showed Talarico narrowly leading Paxton and Cornyn.
Talarico came under fire after Trump trashed him for ordering a meatless taco. The taco contained egg, so it would not be considered vegan. Talarico previously noted that he is not vegan, posting a photo of himself with a turkey leg in March.
Trump talked about Paxton at the gaggle and said he believes the attorney general will outdo Talarico.
“I think he’ll win. Probably he’ll win very substantially. And I think he’ll go on to defeat a very defective candidate, a candidate that believes in six genders, and he takes hits at Jesus Christ, and he’s wearing a mask,” Trump said.
‘TEXAS IS A HUGE MESS’: CHUCK SCHUMER SAYS DEMOCRATS ARE IN BETTER SHAPE TO FLIP STATE
A video from 2022 showed Talarico wearing a mask while speaking at an event against animal abuse, and said he is running a “non-meat campaign.”
Trump said anyone wearing a mask “doesn’t get it.”