SAN ANTONIO — *Since this story was first reported, KENS 5 discovered Timothy is only 4 years old, which makes him ineligible to run for President of the United States since the minimum age is 35.
A rather big, new candidate has entered the race - and if you live in San Antonio, you’ll probably recognize his larger than life face.
“Timothy the Hippo,” who lives at the San Antonio Zoo, is making a last-ditch effort to run for President of the United States (POTUS). In a letter to his girlfriend, Fiona the Hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo, he said he would also consider running for Hippo of the United States of America (HOTUS).
Zoo officials tell KENS 5 he has been formalizing his campaign by getting into the game with his own Twitter account. Of course, he's on Facebook and posts on Instagram, too.
The candidate’s "extra sturdy” platform has one big goal in mind: Naps for all.
Timothy has already garnered support from across the country and gained endorsements from elected officials. Since Timothy was not invited to the recent Presidential town halls, he took to Twitter and hosted an online town hall where he replies by only using gifs.
Sources say Timothy has asked Fiona to consider being his First Hippo, “AKA Boss,” as he says. No word yet on whether she will say yes.
For anyone who may have doubts, KENS 5 has confirmed Timothy reached out to San Antonio District 4 Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia to ask her to consider being his Vice Presidential running mate. Dr. Garcia said she enthusiastically accepted.
"Timothy and I have been friends for quite a while and what I appreciate most about him is his willingness to look at even the smallest things and find wonder and awe in them." Dr. Garcia said. "Timothy works hard at what he does, like making friends with kids and napping - and he's really good at it too, which is why I have every reason to believe that Timothy would certainly keep his word on his ‘Naps for All’ agenda because he leads by example. Timothy would indeed serve as a hippo for all."
A recent Twitter poll showed Timothy neck and neck with President Donald Trump. The angry, angry hippo tweeted, “HOW AM I LOSING MY OWN POLL!” Meanwhile, both Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have yet to state their stance on Timothy’s 'Naps For All' initiative.
Other items on his agenda include:
- Hourly mandatory snack time at schools and offices
- All the world needs to get along and be nice to each other
- Take care of animals; we need human guardians and protectors
- We can disagree, but still be kind to each other and stay friends, no yelling
- Bigger seats on airplanes
- More 24-hour buffets
- All NFL teams should have animal mascots
Timothy’s financial supporters at the zoo said they are proud of him and his ambition to be president. Tim Morrow, President and CEO of San Antonio Zoo, said he’s confident his candidate can deal with the pressure.
"We don't know what Uma, his grandmother, thinks about all of this - but as the grandson of Tumbo, who once graced the cover of National Geographic, we know he can handle the spotlight," Morrow said.
Campaign signs for Timothy’s 2020 run (or walk) are $18, but are in short supply. So far, people from across the country have purchased them in a dozen states, including Ohio (where Fiona lives), New York, New Jersey and California.
Not surprisingly, a picture surfaced online with Fiona next to one of the signs to show her support for Timothy.
Next week, Timothy 2020 T-shirts will be available on the zoo’s website and at the zoo gift shops as well.
