PETA Statement re Elephant at Texas GOP Convention

For Immediate Release:
June 12, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA Foundation Managing Director of Captive Wildlife Debbie Metzler about the elephant dragged today into the Texas Republican Party’s convention in Houston:

One of the most notorious examples of this kind of spectacle happened in 1995, when House Speaker Newt Gingrich brought elephants onto the U.S. Capitol grounds and was roundly condemned for it—and it’s such a shame it’s still happening today. Bullhooks, the sharp steel-tipped weapons used to control elephants through pain and fear, are now banned or restricted in jurisdictions nationwide, and Ringling Bros. and nearly every other major circus have retired all elephant acts, recognizing that these intelligent animals never forget abuse and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect—perhaps more so given that they are the GOP’s own proud symbol.

PETA points out that exhibitor Trunks & Humps, which supplied Paige the elephant for the Texas GOP Convention, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for repeatedly endangering animals and the public, including when a camel kicked a woman in the head at a nativity publicity stunt last Christmas.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.