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JD Vance's ‘indulge in paneer, rice and chickpeas’ comment divides MAGA voters; say ‘No Republican should be vegetarian’

ByAadrika Sominder
Nov 04, 2024 01:39 PM IST

JD Vance recently revealed how he was a big fan of vegetarian food, especially Indian food. Here's what Republicans had to say

In a recent interview on The Joe Rogan Experience, JD Vance, the Republican candidate for Vice President alongside Donald Trump, shared an unexpected aspect of his lifestyle: he is a vegetarian, largely due to his wife Usha Vance’s Indian heritage. Rogan, who often critiques processed meats on his show, took a moment to denounce fake meat, labelling it “highly processed garbage”. Vance wholeheartedly agreed, praising the authentic Indian meals his wife prepares. He enthusiastically recommended dishes like paneer, rice, and chickpeas, urging vegetarians to embrace these flavourful options.

JD Vance
JD Vance

“My wife is Indian-American, and the vegetarian food she makes is exceptional,” Vance commented on the podcast. "For any vegetarian out there, indulge in paneer, rice, and chickpeas. Skip the nasty fake meat. If you want to embrace a vegetarian lifestyle, turn to Indian cuisine. It offers wonderful vegetarian options," he said. However, Vance's comments have sparked a mixed response among MAGA supporters.

Some welcomed his endorsement of a more plant-based diet, with one supporter noting, “If people are going to eat vegetarian diets, it’s definitely healthier to eat home-cooked Indian vegetarian food than the engineered chemically laden & artificially flavoured fake food that is technically “vegetarian” and quite popular among vegetarians in the USA.” Another said, “I think he's saying if you're going to eat vegetarian food go with an established cuisine rather than hyper-processed veggie burgers.”

Others were not so sure. “Indians are short, fat, unathletic, high rates of diabetes, and weakest grip strength of any major demographic. I love Indian food, but it's not good for you. Unironically suspect fake protein is better than pretending that potatoes are protein,” said a particularly passionate commenter. “Being vegetarian is weird af. No Republican should be vegetarian,” was another's opinion.

Similarly, when Usha Vance took the stage at the 2024 Republican National Convention a few months earlier she said, “Although he’s a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, he adapted to my vegetarian diet and learned to cook food from my mother — Indian food.” About Usha's statement at the convention, the LA Times commented, “If it was an applause line, it didn’t have the intended effect, eliciting a few “whoops” and sparse clapping.”

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