Vice President JD Vance has been criticized for making a homophobic remark directed at James Talarico, a Texas Senate Democratic nominee, during a rally in Tyler, Texas.
Vance appeared to respond to a rallygoer by saying, "I love you, too, sir... In a totally platonic way, to be clear." He then added, "I’m the vice president, not James Talarico."
Critics on social media denounced the comment, drawing parallels to the anti-gay expression "no homo." This is not the first time Vance has targeted Talarico with anti-LGBTQ remarks; previous comments have suggested Talarico is a "freak" or pedophile for supporting transgender children and drag performers. Vance himself has reportedly engaged in drag performance.
Vance's remarks came less than a day after a report by The Wall Street Journal detailed that Talarico's opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, had allegedly partied in Dubai with individuals wanted in the U.S. for fraud and embezzlement. Vance did not address the report on Paxton during the rally. Paxton is currently trailing Talarico in polls.
Commentators on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) widely condemned Vance's statement. Reason reporter Billy Binion called the critique "desperate and small," while political columnist Zeeshan Aleem described it as characteristic of "high school, maybe middle school" rhetoric. Others, like "Jeopardy!" champion Hemant Mehta, stated that Talarico is heterosexual and has a girlfriend, labeling Vance's comments as those of an "asshole."
Critics also expressed dismay that a U.S. Vice President would resort to such language in 2026, with one commentator writing, "How terribly far we have fallen as a nation."