Trump Keeps Making Vomit Jokes About a Texas Candidate

President Donald Trump has been trying to help Republican Ken Paxton win a U.S. Senate seat in Texas. But instead of talking mostly about big issues, Trump keeps telling a strange story. He says Democratic candidate James Talarico gets sick and throws up after eating barbecue — something Talarico's team says never happened.

Trump has repeated this vomit story at least nine times in speeches and interviews. At a campaign rally in San Antonio, he told the crowd that Talarico only wants to eat lettuce and gets sick when he has to eat meat. 'He's sick because he's been forced to eat meat for political reasons, and he's throwing up all over the place,' Trump said. He first told a version of this story on September 2 at a White House dinner where guests ate beef burgers.

The story is based on the claim that Talarico is secretly vegan — meaning he doesn't eat meat or animal products. Republicans have been trying to label him 'Tofu Talarico' for months. However, Talarico's campaign says the claim is false. The fact-checking website PolitiFact has also rated the vegan claim as 'false.'

So where did the idea come from? In 2022, Talarico gave a speech to animal rights supporters and said his campaign team would try to eat vegan meals because of concerns about the environment. Republicans grabbed onto that moment and have been using it against him ever since. Even Senator Ted Cruz joined in, tweeting that Talarico 'wants to BAN BBQ.'

In Texas, barbecue is a big deal — and not just as food. J.C. Reid, a barbecue writer for the Houston Chronicle, says that attacking someone's barbecue habits is a way to make them look like they don't fit in with Texas culture. He says this kind of attack goes back to President Lyndon B. Johnson, who used big barbecue parties at his Texas ranch to show strength and power.

Experts say Trump's jokes are really about making Talarico look weak. Sarah Murnen, a psychology professor who studies gender and eating disorders, said that meat is strongly linked to ideas of masculinity in American culture. By saying Talarico throws up meat, Trump is trying to say he isn't strong or tough enough to lead Texas.

Christine Quinn, a Democratic politician who has spoken publicly about her own struggles with bulimia, said Trump's jokes are harmful. Bulimia is a serious health condition where a person repeatedly eats and then forces themselves to throw up. She called the jokes 'very dangerous and unkind,' especially for people who have dealt with eating disorders.

Some Republicans are uncomfortable with the jokes too. One Texas GOP worker told The Washington Post the jokes were gross and that 'joking about someone having bulimia isn't funny.' Republican strategist Mike DuHaime added that voters may be growing tired of these kinds of personal attacks. 'I think voters are getting tired of it now,' he said.

Democrats in Texas think this could be the year they finally win the Senate seat, though they have said that before. Katherine Fischer, who leads the Texas Majority PAC, said the focus on food is a distraction from real problems. 'Gas and grocery prices are at all-time highs, and obviously they can't blame James Talarico for that,' she said. 'I just don't think that people care about what other people eat on any level.'