Trump’s ‘I love the meat’ impression of Talarico takes a suggestive turn at Texas rally
The barbecue impression left a bad taste.
Donald Trump’s attempt to mock Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico over his ‘supposed vegan diet’ took a suggestive turn during a Texas rally, when the president made an exaggerated hand-to-mouth gesture while imitating his political rival. Speaking in Corpus Christi, Trump claimed Talarico had been absent from the campaign trail because he could not stomach meat. However, the Democrat said he was recovering from the flu.
“You ever see him go to a barbecue, and he’s trying to show, ‘I love the meat. Ahhh. I love it, look,’” Trump told the crowd, making exaggerated movements and noises. The President then claimed Talarico would end up behind a tent vomiting. “I happen to think he was food poisoned by meat because he can’t stand it,” he added.
Trump keeps returning to Talarico’s supposed vegan diet
Trump has been making the same accusation for months. In May, he argued that Talarico could not win a Texas election as a ‘vegan.’ By October, Trump was repeatedly claiming the Democrat vomited after eating barbecue, including at rallies in Alabama, Nebraska, and San Antonio.
PolitiFact, on the other hand, rated Trump’s claim “Pants on Fire!” on October 13. The fact-check found that Talarico had advocated reducing meat consumption in a 2022 speech but had not said he was vegan. Talarico has also publicly said he eats meat.
The personal jabs come as Trump campaigns for Republican Ken Paxton in a closely watched Senate race. The president has already criticized Republicans over Paxton’s standing in the contest as he grows frustrated with the GOP.
The race has also attracted enormous outside spending. Elon Musk’s $158 million contribution to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC supporting Senate Republicans. The group subsequently transferred matching amounts to Texas PAC, which used the money to fund advertising supporting Paxton and attacking Talarico. The influx helped fuel a major advertising push in a contest that has drawn national attention ahead of the November 3 midterms.
Trump’s meat impression becomes a punchline online
The hand movement accompanying Trump’s impression quickly drew attention online, with viewers interpreting it as sexual innuendo. The clip also caught the attention of Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough the following morning, who described the president’s rally antics as too “X-rated” for television, while co-host Mika Brzezinski interjected, “Is he OK?” Mediaite reported.
The clip also became fodder for online jokes. Conservative attorney George Conway mocked Trump’s repeated comments about male politicians’ bodies, asking, “So…he’s moving on to a****?” Another X user questioned how much public expectations of political figures had changed, writing that a similar incident a decade ago would have sent the world “insane” before asking, “what have we become?”
Meanwhile, the Texas Senate race remains highly competitive ahead of the November 3 election. Recent polls have shown Democrat James Talarico holding a narrow lead over Republican Ken Paxton.
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