Sometimes you almost have to applaud the creativity….
If you locked me away in a room and said I’m not getting out until I came up with the most ridiculous thing possible to do as a Member of Congress INSTEAD of actually doing my job and debating and voting on The SAVE Act, I could be in that room for many years and never come up with hosting a “dog parade” for Congress.
But that’s what Sen. John Thune is up to.
What an absolute DISGRACE!
See here:
BREAKING - Just days after Senator John Thune said there was no time to debate and vote on the SAVE Act, it was revealed that senators held a dog parade inside the chamber, bringing their pets in for photos and celebration instead of moving forward on the election bill. pic.twitter.com/PsN8lSEPUZ
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) February 26, 2026
The event is Fact-Checked real and was obviously necessary because….Mardis Gras!
Yes, the bipartisan Senate dog parade event is real and took place on February 25, 2026. It was a lighthearted, Mardi Gras-themed gathering officially called the “Bipawtisan Doggi Gras Pawrade,” hosted by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. This was intended as Tillis’s final such event, as he is set to retire from his Senate seat at the end of 2026. The parade featured dogs from senators, congressional staff, lobbyists, and others, many dressed in costumes like purple and green tutus, boas, and sparkles, often pulled in decorated wagons or carts to celebrate the Mardi Gras theme. It drew a crowd of lawmakers, aides, reporters, and onlookers, with participants including both Democrats and Republicans to emphasize bipartisanship.
Key Details
Timing and Schedule
The event occurred on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, during the Senate’s regular session. It was rescheduled from its typical Halloween timing due to a partial government shutdown the previous year, which canceled the 2025 parade. Tillis announced it via X, inviting participants with: “Join us for the Doggi Gras Pawrade this Wednesday in the Hart Atrium. We look forward to seeing you and your pups as we celebrate Mardi Gras in true bipawtisan style.”
Participants and Highlights
Sen. Thom Tillis led the parade, speaking through a megaphone while wearing Mardi Gras beads. He’s a known dog enthusiast with his own pets, Mitch and Theo (though they weren’t specifically mentioned as participants).
A star attraction was Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) and his famous 60-plus-pound English bulldog, Babydog, who served as the “grandmaster” of the parade. Babydog was rolled in a colorful wagon adorned with purple and green streamers, beads, and a “West Virginia” sign, posing for photos and drawing cheers from the crowd.
Justice, attending for the first time since joining the Senate in 2025, expressed enthusiasm for potentially taking over hosting duties after Tillis’s retirement, saying, “I’ll take it over” and “If Senator Tillis wants to pass the torch on to me, I’d take it in a second.”
Other dogs paraded in festive outfits, with wagons featuring Mardi Gras decorations like fringe and posters. The event included photo ops, laughs, and interactions among attendees, with videos showing Tillis and Justice engaging with the dogs and crowd.
Purpose and Tradition
Tillis started the parade tradition several years ago to foster relationships across party lines in a fun, non-political setting. He explained its value by saying:
“Even in this world, where we are so serious about so many things, isn’t it nice to just kind of have a smile on your face and a dog all dressed up? That’s why we’re doing this.”
He added, “You can be good at this job and not be serious 24/7,” and noted it helps build bonds: “Having Democrat, Republican offices, lobbyists, whoever has a dog that wants to come and participate … you end up building better relationships.” Justice echoed this, stating, “This light moment makes us better in every way it touches our soul,” and “For crying out loud, if you don’t love these kinds of moments, then you need to go live in a cave in my book.” The event was described as a “dog culture” celebration to bring levity to Capitol Hill.
Controversy and Backlash
The parade drew criticism for its timing, occurring one week into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown amid broader government funding disputes. It also came just days after Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) stated there wasn’t enough time to debate and vote on the SAVE Act—a House-passed bill requiring proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, which has stalled in the Senate.
A viral X post from @Rightanglenews highlighted this contrast, accusing senators of prioritizing “pets in for photos and celebration instead of moving forward on the election bill,” garnering over 13 million views, thousands of likes, and reposts. Reactions included outrage from conservatives, with comments like calls for accountability from Tillis and Thune, personal stories of hardship (e.g., a user mentioning their husband’s stage 4 cancer amid perceived legislative inaction), and Elon Musk’s simple “Hmm.” Some labeled it a symbol of the “Uniparty” or disconnection from public priorities. However, Tillis defended the event, arguing there’s “never a bad time to get people to come together and have a little laugh.”
Media Coverage and Public Reaction
Reporters like Nathaniel Reed (@ReedReports) shared live videos and photos, describing it as “Sen. Thom Tillis’ final dog parade… featuring the dogs of Congress plus special guest @BabydogJustice.” Other outlets, including Roll Call, Washington Examiner, and local affiliates, covered it with photos of the festive scene. Public sentiment on X was largely negative from right-leaning users, focusing on the optics during shutdowns and stalled bills, though some appreciated the bipartisanship. No major incidents or further controversies were reported beyond the initial pushback.
More here:
Let’s weigh our options…
— Jen X🗽 (@jenrenee) February 26, 2026
Dog parade OR
Pass the most important piece of legislation to save America?
If you chose dog parade, you chose wrong @LeaderJohnThune.
Remove Leader Thune. pic.twitter.com/Lc0CkUWRCn
Every single member of Congress that participated in this should be removed from office.
Immediately.
A complete and utter disgrace, can you imagine what George Washington and the boys would have done with these traitors?
I want to be really clear, I am NOT calling for violence or vigilante justice, but I would not be surprised if Washington and Adams and Hamilton and the rest of them would have executed traitors like this on the spot.
America will never be conquered from the outside, but it can and is being actively conquered by traitors from within.
