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An elephant draped in Republican campaign messaging made a splash at the Texas GOP convention on Friday, but not quite in the way organizers had intended.
Moments after Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrapped up a keynote speech before party faithful in Houston, a nine-foot-tall African elephant named Paige was paraded through the packed convention hall as a surprise attraction.
But the spectacle took an unexpected turn when the enormous animal abruptly stopped and urinated on the convention floor in full view of delegates, reporters and party activists.
Gasps echoed through the George R. Brown Convention Center as convention-goers watched the elephant relieve itself in an aisle separating the media area from seated delegates.
Video of the incident quickly spread across social media, capturing the moment the animal widened its stance before a large stream of urine poured onto the floor while country anthem Only in America played over the venue's speakers.
'Oh, shoot!' one startled attendee could be heard shouting in footage shared online.
The unusual scene unfolded just minutes after Abbott addressed Republicans gathered for the state party's annual convention.
Before Paige's arrival, organizers had teased attendees with warnings about a special guest.
An African elephant named Paige was brought into the Texas Republican convention in Houston on Friday
The elephant urinated on the convention floor as it passed between delegates and the press area
A message projected onto convention screens alerted delegates that a 'larger-than-life surprise' was on the way.
'A Texas-Sized Heads-Up: Attention Please - Today's program includes a larger-than-life surprise. Please stay aware of your surroundings, keep aisles clear, and follow directions from event staff. Y'all are in for a memorable afternoon,' the message read alongside a cartoon elephant wearing a cowboy hat.
Paige entered the convention hall wearing a red, white and blue feathered headpiece and was draped with a large banner bearing Abbott's slogan, 'Unity Drives Victory.'
The elephant's appearance was intended to celebrate one of the Republican Party's most recognizable symbols.
The Texas Democratic Party quickly seized on the incident, sharing its own footage online.
'Governor Abbott closed out his speech at the Texas GOP convention with a live elephant. It then peed on the floor as it left the room. The perfect metaphor for the Texas Republican Party,' the party wrote on X.
The Texas GOP shared video of Paige's entrance on social media and welcomed the animal enthusiastically.
'Welcome Paige! Thanks for stopping by the State Convention! What a treat for our delegates and guests - it's one they won't ever forget!' the party wrote.
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Should animals be used in political events, or does this disrespect both the animal and the message?
Paige wore a red, white and blue headpiece during her appearance. A banner draped over the elephant read, 'Unity Drives Victory'
Video of the incident was shared widely on social media. An attendee could be heard exclaiming, 'Oh, shoot!' in footage of the moment
Video showed a large stream of urine pouring onto the convention floor as handlers escorted Paige through the hall
The elephant relieved itself in full view of hundreds of convention attendees
Paige is no ordinary elephant.
According to information from East Texas Elephant Experience in Cut and Shoot, Texas, Paige is no ordinary elephant.
She was brought to the United States as an orphan in the mid-1980s and is the largest of the facility's three elephants standing roughly nine feet tall and weighing close to 9,000 pounds.
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