Story at a glance
- Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt continued a friendly battle Wednesday when he fired up a grill filled with hamburgers and steaks near a pro-vegan billboard.
- PETA put up a billboard in Oklahoma City labeling the Republican governor a “meathead” after Stitt made the last week of March “Eat Meat Week.”
- Stitt tweeted that he “will ALWAYS stand” with the “beef, chicken and pork producers and protect and defend Oklahoma’s entire agricultural industry.”
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) continued a friendly battle Wednesday when he fired up a grill filled with hamburgers and steaks near a pro-vegan billboard.
The cookout was organized in response to a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) billboard in Oklahoma City labeling the Republican governor a “meathead” after Stitt made the last week of March “Eat Meat Week,” KOCO reported.
Stitt’s original intent for the celebratory period was to emphasize the state’s agriculture and meat production.
“It’s all in good fun. Oklahomans know that we’re going to stand by our agriculture industry and our personal freedoms — and the freedom to go vegan if you want and the freedom to eat hamburgers if you want,” Stitt said, according to the outlet.
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk fueled the feud in March, saying Stitt must “have a lard brain if he thinks he can stop the vegan revolution,” according to Fox 25.
“PETA encourages people to ignore this act of political desperation and see the meat industry for what it is—a planet-polluting, artery-clogging, animal-killing disaster,” Newkirk added.
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Earlier Wednesday, Stitt posted a picture of the billboard on his Twitter account with the caption: “looks like a good spot to grill some burgers.” Stitt, who has served as governor since 2019, followed the post with an official release marking the event, 2News reported.
The animal advocacy organization blasted the barbecue as a stunt in a statement, saying the cookout was a sign of who the governor serves.
“PETA is sending the governor a back brace, since he must be in agony from all the bowing and scraping he has to do to keep his meat-industry backers happy,” the statement said.
Stitt reiterated his ongoing support for the industry following the Wednesday event, tweeting that he “will ALWAYS stand with our beef, chicken and pork producers and protect and defend Oklahoma’s entire agricultural industry.”
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