Texas politician, James Talarico, sparked political backlash after ordering a vegetarian breakfast taco during a high-profile campaign stop.
James Talarico’s go-to breakfast order didn’t include meat, and to put it mildly, Republicans were not happy about it.
During a recent visit to Taco Joint in Austin with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa and former President Barack Obama, the Democratic US Senate candidate ordered his usual: a breakfast taco with potato, egg, and cheese.
The criticism escalated quickly. In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted to his campaign’s X account: “Potato egg and cheese? Homie is not beating the vegetarian allegations.”
A few days later, President Donald Trump weighed in on Talarico’s dietary choices, claiming that “Texas doesn’t like vegans.” (Side note: He also pronounced vegan as “vey-gan.”)
“I think the Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate,” Trump said on May 15 while speaking to reporters on Air Force One. “Six genders, a real hit on Jesus. I mean, this guy is bad news with his mask from relatively recently. And he’s vegan. He’s a vegan. All of a sudden, he’s not a vegan. He’s a vegan. Now, all of a sudden, he’s not.” He continued: “I think that the candidate the Democrats have in Texas is very flawed, very weak, very. I think he’s a pathetic candidate, especially for Texas.”
Is James Talarico vegan?
No, Talarico isn’t actually vegan. In March, he posted a photo of himself eating a giant turkey leg. He is, however, like many Americans, conscious of his meat consumption.
In 2022, he spoke to the Texas Humane Legislation Network and argued that eating less meat was important for both animal welfare and the planet.
“We have, I think, heard more and more issues of animal welfare,” he said during a speech to the animal rights group. “I think, not just because it’s the right thing to do and the moral thing to do, but also, it’s, as all of you know, necessary to fight climate change.”
“It is now existential that we try to reduce our meat consumption and that we try to respect animals in all aspects of society.”
“So, I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign,” he added. “So, we are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses.”
Texans like vegan and vegetarian food, too
Trump’s bizarre claim that “Texas doesn’t like vegans” isn’t accurate. The state is known for meaty barbecue, of course, but parts of it have also become a plant-based haven. According to HappyCow, Texas is home to nearly 4,000 vegan-friendly eateries. Austin has more than 500, while Dallas has nearly 300.
And while it’s not vegan, the vegetarian breakfast taco Talarico ordered is also distinctly Texan. “Anyone debating this is clearly not from Texas,” one Reddit user wrote.
As another put it: “Potato, egg, and cheese is literally THE most classic format for a Texas breakfast taco. Every place in the state that offers breakfast tacos makes a potato, egg, and cheese version. That’s like mocking someone for ordering a slice of cheese pizza in New York.”
Original source: https://vegnews.com
https://www.animalagricultureclimatechange.org/texas-bans-climate-books/
