Cory Booker is the junior Senator representing New Jersey, served as Mayor of Newark for seven years, and is currently running for President. He’s also vegan. While you might consider a candidate’s dietary choices outside the scope of relevancy—we certainly wouldn’t—animal welfare is actually a tenet of Booker’s campaign. A tangible goal provided on his website: to “stop the export of U.S. horses for human consumption.”

　　As we have with other Presidential candidates, The Takeout put forth to Booker the most pressing question of our age. As his staff informs us Booker is extremely busy with obligations like debate prep and campaigning, they were only able to issue the following statement on his behalf, and have not responded to The Takeout’s follow-up questions.

　　The Takeout: Is a hot dog a sandwich?

　　Cory Booker: Some may ask whether a vegan is qualified to pass judgment on this question. But it doesn’t take decades of meat-eating experience to know this truth: A hot dog is not a sandwich.