DC restaurant takes down donkey, elephant decor due to leftist outrage

Washington DC’s Political Pattie’s had a lot of free advertising on social media even before the bar opened. Leftists online began attacking the tavern’s logo, that included a Republican elephant and a Democratic donkey.

Shortly after opening Thursday, the owners removed both the elephant and donkey and painted over the “Political” part of the pub’s name but explained on X that they weren’t happy about the backlash, which they described as “mean spirited.”

“Soon after our logo was painted on our building’s facade, we realized that the representation of the red elephant was hurtful to the community,” owners Andrew Benbow and Sydney Bradford said in a written statement on their Instagram account. “And out of respect, we decided to change the logo, removing both the donkey and the elephant.”

Benbow is the Republican of the two, though he reportedly isn’t voting for Donald Trump come November, per the Washingtonian. Bradford is an attorney with a flair for civil rights cases, who’s also a Democrat. Both were born and raised in DC and both are black.

“We view the online backlash that we’ve recently received to be mean spirited, especially considering our original and continued intent to be a space that is welcoming to ALL people, including members of the LGBTQ community. We do not tolerate homophobia, transphobia, racism or any other form of bigotry. As Black Americans, anything else would be antithetical to our very existence,” the owners wrote in their post. The statement also says they did not “push out” or “take over” the previous owners of the Dirty Goose.

Benbow and Bradford say what happened to them, with the cascading social media attacks is good evidence that a place like their bar is much needed in Washington with its rigid political posturing. “What has been happening online to Pattie’s directly resembles what happens in society daily. Our business was judged by its outside appearance before anyone ever took the chance to learn what we were about on the inside.”

The bar, however, does want to keep it "Political" Patties, and will make the name even bigger out front. The theme will continue with the cocktail menu that features a “Fillibuster Fizz” and the “Gerrymander Martini.” You can find a gavel on every table as well.