Trump mocks Texas rival with meat-eating impression at Corpus Christi rally

President Donald Trump used a rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday to mock Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico with a series of vocalizations and physical gestures. The President performed an exaggerated impression of eating meat, accompanied by loud, strange noises, while addressing supporters about his opponent’s recent absence from the campaign trail.

Talarico has stayed away from public appearances due to the flu. Trump asserted that the illness was not a standard case of the flu but rather a reaction to meat consumption. The President stated that Talarico was likely food poisoned by meat because he cannot stand it. This claim contradicted Trump’s previous and repeated assertions that Talarico is a vegan.

“I happen to think he was food poisoned by meat because he can’t stand it,” Trump said. He then asked the audience if they had ever seen Talarico at a barbecue trying to show off. Following the question, Trump mimed taking a bite of food. “I love the meat,” he said, adding a loud vocalization that sounded like ahaaaa. He continued the performance by taking another imaginary bite and letting out an even stranger sound to represent the act of eating.

Trump also suggested that Talarico vomits after eating meat. The President framed the candidate’s dietary habits as a point of contention in the race. Talarico responded to the criticism by noting his own history with barbecue. “I’ve been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment,” Talarico said in May. The comment referenced the multiple scandals involving the Texas Attorney General, including an indictment on three felony counts in a fraud case.

The meat-eating impression fits a recent pattern of vocal and physical gags at Trump rallies. Last week, the President dismissed former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley by making a gagging noise instead of saying her name. He has also focused on the physical attributes of male political figures. Most recently, Trump commented on the rear end of Senator Jon Husted of Ohio. “I looked at his ass, and I’ve never done that with a man before,” Trump said. He made a similar comment about the physique of rapper Nicki Minaj, describing her rear as having one hell of a beautiful appearance.

The video of the meat-eating impression spread rapidly across social media platforms. The moment generated widespread attention due to the specific sounds and gestures Trump used to portray Talarico. The performance added to a growing list of unusual moments from the President’s recent campaign events.