Following a runoff primary victory backed by Donald Trump and the MAGA base, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by John Cornyn. Shortly after his win, Paxton began a campaign of questioning the masculinity of his general-election opponent, Democratic state representative James Talarico.
During his victory speech, Paxton labeled Talarico an “extreme radical,” utilizing a series of derogatory nicknames. He mocked Talarico’s perceived lifestyle and identity, referring to him as “Tofu Talarico,” “Six-Gender Jimmy,” “James Talafreako,” and “Low-T Talarico.”
While the Talarico campaign quickly pivoted these insults into fundraising opportunities by selling “I’m a Talafreako” T-shirts, the nature of the attacks points to an influence from the “manosphere” and “incel” culture—online subcultures characterized by pseudo-scientific beliefs regarding hormones, gender, and nutrition.
This theme continued in Paxton’s first general election advertisement, which framed Talarico as being disconnected from Texan values and concluded by claiming he is “too low-T for Texas.” This rhetoric was echoed by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who falsely claimed on X that Democrats had nominated their first transgender senate candidate in Texas.
Donald Trump also joined the fray, asserting that Talarico is a vegan and claiming that such a lifestyle is an electoral liability in Texas. However, Talarico is neither transgender nor vegan. The veganism claim appears to be a distortion of remarks made during his 2022 reelection campaign. At a Texas Humane Legislation Network fundraiser, Talarico advocated for reducing meat consumption to fight climate change and noted that his campaign events would serve vegan food. He has denied being a vegan himself and has been seen consuming meat and dairy on the campaign trail, including egg and cheese tacos at an Austin eatery in May.
This preoccupation with meat consumption and testosterone levels aligns with the narratives found in male-centric podcasts and online spaces where “soy boy” is used as a slur for men perceived as weak. These ideas have reached the upper echelons of the Trump administration, notably through Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which often incorporates medical pseudoscience.
Kennedy has frequently warned against declining testosterone levels in men, though his claims often misrepresent the data; while levels are trending downward, most men remain within a healthy clinical range. Additionally, Kennedy has aggressively promoted high meat consumption for protein—ironically overlooking that whole soy foods like tofu are complete proteins containing all essential amino acids.
The weaponization of these specific tropes against Talarico suggests that masculinist dogma is now influencing mainstream political strategy. However, it remains uncertain if the broader Texas electorate will be moved by attempts to paint the former teacher and Presbyterian seminarian as effete. While “low-T” and “vegan” may serve as potent insults in niche internet circles, such jargon may not resonate with the 19 million eligible voters who will decide the statewide election.