Dem Senate candidate Talarico faces backlash over anti-meat video: ‘Freak’

Senate candidate James Talarico, D-Texas, is facing an intense online firestorm following a resurfaced video showing him urging Texans to give up meat to combat climate change.

Republicans and conservative influencers widely scrolled the comment He called it a potentially fatal blow to his Senate candidacy and suggested his anti-meat stance could follow him on the campaign trail.

“Democrats are trying to convince Texans that James Talarico is not a fringe lib, but the clips keep coming,” Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet wrote to X.

“This isn’t bad taste, it’s political poison,” Lawrence Jones said Thursday on “The Will Cain Show.”

Talarico, a three-term state legislator and self-described Presbyterian theologian, is trying to unseat Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is facing an insurgent primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Talarico defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) in a primary battle earlier this month.

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Talarico’s anti-meat remarks stem from a speech he gave to the Texas Humane Legislative Network in April 2022, in which he said his reelection bid was a “non-meat” campaign.

“I think we hear more and more about animal welfare issues.” Talarico said while wearing a mask. “I think it’s necessary not only because it’s the right and moral thing to do, but also, as you all know, to combat climate change. It’s now existential that we’re trying to reduce our consumption of meat and try to respect animals in every aspect of society.”

“That’s why I’m proud to say that our campaign has officially transitioned to a non-meat campaign,” Talarico continued. “So we only buy vegan products from our local vegan businesses.”

Amid the backlash, the Talarico campaign released a photo of the candidate wearing a Texas flag shirt and taking a large bite of a turkey leg.

“James Talarico’s Official Statement Regarding Vegan Accusations,” the campaign wrote.

James Talarico’s campaign hit back at Republicans who criticized his anti-meat stance by posting a photo of the candidate biting into a turkey leg. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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Still, Republicans continue to criticize Talarico for his anti-meat stance.

“Who wants to tell him cattle are Texas’ No. 1 commodity?” National Republican Senatorial Committee, campaign arm of Senate Republicans, He wrote to X.

“Vote Republican this November. The steaks couldn’t be higher,” Cornyn wrote in response to the viral clip. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also called Talarico a “freak” who wants to “ban BBQ.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Talarico’s campaign for comment.

“Steaks couldn’t be higher,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote in response to a video in which Senate candidate James Talarico, a Democratic candidate, called on Texans to reduce meat consumption. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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Republicans also pointed to Talarico’s past statements discussing religion and transgender issues.

In 2021, while debating a bill in the Texas House that would ban men from women’s sports, he claimed that “God is non-binary.” Talarico doubled down on that statement in an interview with The Bulwark on Thursday, arguing that the statement was “provocative” but theologically correct.

Talarico expressed his concerns in a 2021 interview with an Austin-based Fox affiliate. biological males in women’s sports part of “far-right conspiracy theories”.

“To Talarico in 2023”A Super Flower PodcastThe candidate addressed the issue of “trans kids” about “something you love outside of family and friends.”

Although Democrats haven’t won a Senate seat in Texas since the 1980s, Talarico argues he’s well positioned to end that trend. His campaign released an internal poll Friday showing him leading Cornyn and Paxton in head-to-head matchups.