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Ted Cruz Continues His War on Muppets, Slams Elmo's COVID Vaccination

The Texas senator called the Sesame Street PSA a move to "aggressively advocate" for vaccines.
  • Ted Cruz and Elmo (Photos: Everett Collection)
    Ted Cruz and Elmo (Photos: Everett Collection)

    On Tuesday, beloved Sesame Street character Elmo got his COVID-19 vaccination after the U.S. began administering vaccines for children under five. The move to vaccinate the puppet, who is three-and-a-half years old, was quickly criticized by Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

    Cruz retweeted the clip of Elmo getting vaccinated on Tuesday. "Thanks, Sesame Street, for saying parents are allowed to have questions!" he wrote.

    The clip shows Elmo's dad, Louis, saying, "I had a lot of questions about Elmo getting the Covid vaccine. Was it safe? Was it the right decision? I talked to our pediatrician so I could make the right choice."

    But Cruz continued, "You then have Elmo aggressively advocate for vaccinating children UNDER 5. But you cite ZERO scientific evidence for this." He then linked to a press release on his website demanding the FDA provide answers about why the vaccine was approved for babies and toddlers.

    Oddly enough, this is not the first time Cruz has taken it upon himself to pick on a Muppet. In November, he levied a similar criticism at Big Bird, calling the yellow puppet's vaccination "government propaganda."

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    Kirstie Renae is a writer, blogger, and Austin-based actress with a penchant for binge-watching TV with her dogs. Follow her on Twitter @KirstieRenae.

    TOPICS: Ted Cruz, Sesame Street, Coronavirus, politics