Republicans have found an unlikely new line of attack against Democratic candidates: branding them as vegans.
Veganism, a diet that excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs, has become an unexpected political flashpoint as Republicans seek to portray Democrats as culturally out of touch with rural America and agricultural communities.
In Texas, President Donald Trump and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign have repeatedly sought to portray Democratic nominee James Talarico as a vegan, despite Talarico insisting he isn’t. In Colorado, Republicans have resurfaced Democratic congressional candidate Manny Rutinel‘s former vegan lifestyle and animal rights activism. Elsewhere, GOP campaigns have highlighted Democratic candidates’ veganism or criticism of animal agriculture in districts where livestock production is a major economic and cultural force.
Talarico has become the highest-profile target of the strategy. Trump has repeatedly referred to the Texas Democrat as a vegan, mocking him during remarks to reporters in May by saying, “He’s a vegan. He’s a vegan. All of a sudden, he’s not a vegan.”
Meanwhile, Paxton’s campaign released an advertisement highlighting a 2022 clip in which Talarico described his campaign as “non-meat,” a remark Republicans have used to portray him as embracing veganism. Talarico has repeatedly said he is not vegan and that he eats eggs, cheese, and other animal products.
The Democrat has responded by leaning into his Texas roots.
“I’m an eighth-generation Texan,” Talarico said. “I’ve been eating BBQ since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment.”
Republicans have deployed similar messaging elsewhere. In Colorado’s competitive 8th Congressional District, Republicans have highlighted Democratic nominee Manny Rutinel’s years of animal rights activism and his former vegan lifestyle as he campaigns to represent one of the state’s largest agricultural regions. His past advocacy included describing animal agriculture as “a horrific, exploitative industry” and supporting policies encouraging a shift away from meat production. Rutinel says those views no longer reflect who he is.
“The views that I put in those posts when I was 22 are not my views today,” he told the Colorado Sun. “Those are the views of a 22-year-old kid. I’ve grown a lot, and I’m glad that I have.”
Other Democratic candidates have also made veganism part of their public profiles. Arizona congressional candidate Amish Shah openly identifies as vegan and founded the Arizona Vegetarian Food Festival, while Iowa congressional candidate Lindsay James has previously promoted “Meatless May” and criticized the meatpacking industry, positions Republicans have highlighted in districts with deep agricultural ties.
Although Republicans have increasingly highlighted veganism on the campaign trail, relatively few Americans identify that way themselves. A 2023 Gallup poll found that just 1% of the public identifies as vegan, while 4% identify as vegetarian, figures that have remained largely unchanged for more than a decade. The survey also found vegetarianism was three times more common among liberals, at 9%, than among moderates and conservatives, at 3%.
Meanwhile, researchers at Hofstra University and Manhattanville University concluded in a study released this month that the public increasingly associates vegetarianism with the Democratic Party, even though veganism and vegetarianism remain uncommon across the political spectrum. The researchers also found Republicans generally hold less favorable views of vegans than Democrats.
Republican strategist Dennis Lennox said attacks on Talarico’s alleged veganism are not intended to stand on their own. Rather, he said, Republicans see them as reinforcing a broader effort to portray the Texas Democrat as outside the political mainstream.
“Attacking him just for being a vegan isn’t going to move many voters,” Lennox said. “But it does work if it’s put into the broader attack that Talarico, on a whole host of issues, is just plain weird.”
Lennox said the attacks are less about Talarico’s diet than reinforcing an existing perception Republicans are trying to build.
“When it’s part of the ‘he’s just really weird’ narrative, it can be effective, but on its own it is not enough to move the needle,” he said.
Not everyone in Republican circles agrees. As the Make America Healthy Again movement has become an influential force within Trump’s coalition, many conservatives have embraced its emphasis on reducing processed foods, improving people’s diets and combating chronic disease. While MAHA is not a vegan movement and many of its leading advocates encourage eating meat and animal products, its focus on nutrition and healthier eating has led some Republicans to question whether mocking candidates over their dietary choices is a winning political message.
“The vegan argument isn’t really a great one,” said a GOP strategist, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “There’s an entire section of the MAGA movement that is MAHA and very focused on health and wellness. Just don’t really see what this kind of attack actually does.”
Democratic strategist Brad Bannon argued the debate misses what voters actually care about.
“Republicans are whistling past the graveyard if they think an attack on a Democratic vegan will work,” Bannon said.
JAMES TALARICO DEMANDS LOCALS BE GIVEN POWER OVER DATA CENTERS IN PROPOSAL MIRRORING GREG ABBOTT’S
Instead, he argued, farmers are far more concerned about tariffs and agricultural policy than what candidates choose to eat.
“I really don’t think it’s a big deal,” Bannon said. “American farmers are having a hard time selling their products abroad because of Trump’s erratic tariff policy. I think that is the issue that is very much on the minds of farmers.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
