Big Bird’s seemingly innocuous — and obviously fictional — announcement Saturday that he has been vaccinated against Covid-19 caused a stir online, as Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas accused the yellow anthropomorphic bird of tweeting “government propaganda.”

“I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it’ll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy,” the 8-foot, 2-inch Muppet wrote on Twitter. “Ms. @EricaRHill even said I’ve been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!”

The right wing quickly seized on the Muppet’s tweet.

“Government propaganda…for your 5 year old!” Cruz tweeted.

“Brainwashing children who are not at risk from COVID. Twisted,” Lisa Boothe of Fox News wrote.