‘Freak’: Ted Cruz, John Cornyn slam Democratic U.S. Senator nominee James Talarico for resurfaced anti-meat quote

As the dust settles for James Talarico following his victory over Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary for U.S. senator from Texas, Republicans from his home state are digging up quotes they deem “anti-Texas.”

This week, a nearly four-year-old clip resurfaced of Talarico discussing what he described as an “existential” fight to defend animal welfare and reduce meat consumption.

The quote came from an animal abuse fundraiser hosted by the Texas Humane Legislation Network.

Rep. Talarico, who attended as a member of the Texas House, delivered the following remarks in the now-viral 51-second clip:

“We have, I think, heard more and more issues of animal welfare. 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. So, we are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses. Some of you may know Big Nonna’s. They were Little Nonna’s, and then they opened brick-and-mortar locations, and so they’re Big Nonna’s. We just got our pizza from there today. And so, the point is, I think all of us—not just policymakers, but everyone — has to take personal responsibility in this effort.”

As you might expect, Texas conservatives jumped all over this soundbite, criticizing the moment as evidence that Talarico was ready to push for an end of iconic Texas barbecue.

The most viral reaction came from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who called Talarico a “freak” who wants to “BAN BBQ.”

Incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who is currently in a runoff with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the GOP nomination to face Talarico in November, seized the controversy as a chance to rally Republican support — and show off his pun game.

“Vote Republican this November. The steaks [sic] couldn’t be higher,” a post on X from Cornyn read.

Other prominent GOP voices also weighed in.

The Senate Republicans X account reposted the quote, calling Talarico “woke” and arguing he should know cattle is the “No. 1 commodity in Texas.”

For context, recent data from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative shows Texas exported $73.0 billion worth of petroleum and coal products in a recent year. The same report lists roughly $1.9 billion in combined beef, veal, and dairy exports.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA and executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, said he believes Democratic efforts to convince Texans that Talarico isn’t a “whacked-out lib” will be undermined by clips like this.

“In 2022, Talarico, wearing a mask, scolded Texans about going meat-free to stop climate change,” Kolvet’s post on X read. “This is Texas.”

In response, JT Ennis — Talarico’s spokesperson — released a statement addressing what the campaign called “vegan accusations.”

The statement included an image of Talarico eating a beef rib — complete with a Texas flag–themed button-up shirt for emphasis.