Vice President JD Vance attempted a Hail Mary pass of sorts for the GOP in the form of homophobia on Tuesday when he used a midterm rally to imply that Texas Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico is gay.

“I love you, too, sir,” Vance began at an event in Tyler, Texas, seemingly in response to a rallygoer, before adding, “In a totally platonic way, to be clear.”

“I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.”

Vance’s schoolyard bully-like taunt takes notes from the anti-gay expression “no homo” that was popularized in the ’90s and ’00s and adds to his history of hurling anti-LGBTQ attacks toward Talarico, a majority of which have suggested that he’s a “freak” or a pedophile for supporting transgender children and drag performers (it’s worth noting that Vance himself has done drag). He’s even resorted to “Talafreako” as a way of referring to Talarico.

JD Vance: "I love you too sir. In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I'm the vice president, not James Talarico." pic.twitter.com/8fX3LHczdk

Vance’s comments arrived less than 24 hours after The Wall Street Journal reported that Talarico’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), partied it up in Dubai with fugitives wanted in the U.S. for alleged healthcare fraud and embezzlement.

During the Tyler rally, Vance did not address the report on Paxton, who is trailing behind his opponent in a growing list of polls.

Critics on social media bashed the veep on Tuesday, including Reason reporter Billy Binion.

“I remain amazed and mystified that some of the most powerful people in the world think ‘James Talarico seems gay!!’ is a compelling critique. I bet it goes so hard with JD Vance’s 9-year-old. It’s so desperate and small,” Binion wrote on X.

Zeeshan Aleem, a political columnist/editor for MS NOW, also took on Vance, writing, “VP says ‘no homo’ and calls a candidate gay as a joke. We’re in high school, maybe middle school.”

“Jeopardy!” champion Hemant Mehta summed it up bluntly, “Talarico is straight and has a girlfriend. Vance is just an asshole.”

Others chimed in, too, calling the comments “beyond disgusting” for a U.S. vice president.

“...The Vice President of the United States... in 2026...Trying to insult a Senate candidate...by implying he is gay,” wrote professor and policy consultant Adam Cochran of the clip.

“How terribly far we have fallen as a nation.”

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