Talarico Once Advocated Reducing Meat Consumption to Fight Climate Change

” Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. John Cornyn shared video of those remarks on X in March. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton labeled Talarico “Tofu Talarico” and called him more radical than any other candidate. President Donald Trump told reporters on May 20 that Talarico is “a vegan in Texas” and cannot win.

Talarico has rejected the characterization. In a May 26 interview he said he is an eighth-generation Texan who has eaten barbecue since before Paxton’s first indictment. His campaign later released photos and videos of him eating turkey legs, barbecue, chicken and steak. Spokesman JT Ennis issued a statement that included one such image.

The exchange resurfaced in early May when Talarico ordered potato, egg and cheese tacos at Taco Joint in Austin during a meeting with former President Barack Obama. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted on X that the order supported “vegetarian allegations.” Talarico told the Taco Policy podcast in September 2025 that his usual order is bacon and egg on a flour tortilla.

Texas leads the nation in cattle production with more than 12 million head, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture. That figure represents roughly 15 percent of U.S. cattle production. Historians trace the state’s barbecue traditions to German, Czech, Mexican, Tejano and African American influences that developed over generations. The official state dish, adopted in 1977, is chili.

“I’m an eighth-generation Texan. I’ve been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment. And if all they have on me is lying about me being a vegan, I feel pretty good about our chances this November,” Talarico said in the May 26 interview with The MeidasTouch Podcast.