Trump trashes Talarico but doesn't endorse Cornyn or Paxton in runoff

President Donald Trump once again sidestepped a question on whether he will endorse in the upcoming Texas Republican runoff for U.S. Senate but repeated his attacks on Democratic nominee James Talarico, calling him "pathetic" and "a weird, a weird candidate." Speaking aboard Air Force One after visiting China, Trump told reporters that he believes either four-term incumbent John Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could defeat Talarico in November. But despite promising in March that he'd make his choice known for the May 26 runoff, he declined to commit to either one. "I don't want to say," Trump said in a clip posted on X. "I like them both. I do believe either one of them will easily win the race." Then he pivoted to Talarico, without mentioning his name. "I'll tell you what I do think," Trump said. "The Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate — six genders, a real hit on Jesus. And he's vegan. He's a vegan. All of a sudden he's not a vegan. He's a vegan. Now, all of a sudden, he's not. Texas doesn't like vegans." Polling in the Cornyn-Paxton runoff shows a tight race as Republicans hope to keep alive their three-decade winning streak in statewide elections. Polling that includes hypothetical matchups with either Republican has shown Talarico with a single-digit leads in a midterm cycle where Trump's approval ratings are sagging amid rising gasoline prices and widespread economic uncertainty. Talarico previouslyused a photo of himself chomping on a turkey leg at the 2025 State Fair of Texas to dispel suggestions that he is a vegan. The Austin seminarian has nowattracted the attention of two presidents in the span of four days. On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama joined Talarico and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa for a surprise visit to an Austin taco restaurant. Talarico's order of two potato, egg and cheese breakfast tacos reignited the vegan rumors — even though eggs and cheese are vegan no-nos. In his 2022 campaign for reelection to the Texas House, Talarico did say that reducing meat consumption is "the right thing to do and the moral thing to do: and part of a healthy diet. "We are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses," he told an animal rights group at the time.