California governor candidate faces criticism as he brings giant bear to press conference

Famous personalities and Hollywood actors often appear at election rallies or political events in the United States but it is rare to spot a 1,000-pound bear. Republican John Cox brought a Kodiak bear named Tag at a press event on May 4 in Sacramento. The giant bear was termed as a "special guest" and the moment it appeared was hyped. However, the unusual political stunt drew heavy criticism from animal rights groups and activists.

Cox addressed the media in front of a vehicle that is part of his "Meet the Beast Bus Tour". The bus had his face painted on it with a giant bear and "Meet the Beast" written on it. The bear grabbed the attention by its presence but looked disinterested before flopping on to the ground, panting heavily. It did not offer any advertisement and was rather criticised. In his defence, Cox said that the bear was born in captivity and is trained and further mentioned that it has appeared in movies and commercials. 

John Cox's bear-stunt faces criticism

The 65-year-old businessman said that the stunt was aimed at drawing eyes to his campaign and also addressed the animal's welfare. He said, "We made sure that everything about this bear is taken care of in the utmost." However, animal rights group PETA and state Sen. Ben Hueso, who authored a state law banning the use of most animals in circuses, condemned his use of a bear as a campaign prop. PETA reacted to the incident with a tweet saying, "It's shameful that @BeastJohnCox would exploit a bear for publicity. Wild animals must be left alone, not confined to a pen & wheeled out for events. They're not props."

Besides the bear, he also promised to discuss "serious issues" — like bringing down the cost of housing, boosting the state's water resources and preventing special interests from influencing government. The businessman John Cox lost California's last governor's race to Gavin Newsom by 24 points in a 2018 landslide. Now he is a candidate in the proposed recall election that threatens to oust Newsom. Cox filed paperwork with the state last week to establish a committee to raise money. Cox spoke to reporters and said that there's a need to replace Newsom, whom he referred to as a "beauty," with himself, "a beast" who lacks the substance to run state government. He said, "The beautiful politicians have failed California". "We need big beastly changes to save it. I'll cut taxes, make California more affordable and shake up Sacramento." 

IMAGE: AP