Big Bird and his friends are reportedly banned from the Republican Party’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference next year.
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The CPAC committee tweeted on Thursday that Elmo, Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie, are reportedly banned from attending their conference in 2022. One tweet reads, “Big Bird & Big Gov. Mandates? NO .THANK .YOU.” with a series of clapping emojis. Their decision was made after an episode of Sesame Street showed Big Bird receiving the COVID-19 vaccine which angered Sen. Ted Cruz as reported by the Huffington Post.
#NotInvited #CPACFlorida pic.twitter.com/cSQwov3dUw
— CPAC 2022 (@CPAC) November 17, 2021
Big Bird & Big Gov. Mandates?
NO 👏🏼 THANK 👏🏼 YOU 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/JK3efVPQnK— CPAC 2022 (@CPAC) November 18, 2021
Cruz said in a tweet calling the episode, “government propaganda…for your 5-year-old!” However, this is not the first time the fictional character received a vaccine. An episode that aired in 1972 showed Big Bird getting a vaccine for measles and being rewarded with a balloon shortly after for his bravery.
Big Bird gets vaccinated, 1972 pic.twitter.com/M2mdmmjZ0N
— Muppet Wiki (@MuppetWiki) November 6, 2021
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Additionally, CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp was reportedly displeased with the children’s educational program adding an Asian-American muppet to the case and claimed it was becoming too political.
“When you have hundreds of channels to choose from, why do we have to have a special station that doesn’t have to, you know, operate in the same way all the others do? It’s time to go.”