Speaking to reporters on the tarmac in late May 2026, President Trump launched into a rambling attack on James Talarico, the Texas Democratic Senate nominee, saying he “believes in six genders, he takes hits at Jesus Christ” and “he's a vegan!”
Several of the claims are misleading. Talarico is not a vegan and routinely eats meat; the label stems from an unearthed 2022 clip in which he called reducing meat consumption “existential.” The “six genders” line refers to a 2021 Texas Legislature debate over a bill targeting transgender student athletes, in which Talarico said, “Modern science recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes, in fact, there are six.” He later told CBS, “I know there are two sexes, men and women,” and that the small share of people with chromosomal differences “deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Talarico, a former public-school teacher and seminary student, was propelled to the national stage after winning the Democratic Senate nomination, and he faces Trump-backed Attorney General Ken Paxton in November. He has acknowledged that some of his past comments were “cringey” and said he “missed the mark.” The attack is part of a broader Trump-world push against Talarico (see Katie Miller, Stephen Miller's Wife, Doxes the Democrats' Social Media Manager By Name and Photo After Her Husband Drew an 'Ugly F*** ' Reply).