An annual Republican fundraising dinner in Fresno, California, featuring Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) has been canceled following protesters’ plans to crash the event wearing cow costumes and ringing cowbells.

The protest plot was launched after Nunes sued Twitter and the parody Twitter account @DevinCow for $250 million for online harassment. Nunes’ planned blow against ridicule backfired as the number of “Devin Nunes’ Cow” followers zoomed to 623,000, far surpassing the number of Nunes’ own Twitter followers.

Andy Lassner, the executive producer of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” set off the protest plans Wednesday with a tongue-in-cheek “I’m not saying” that people should show up to the Fresno Lincoln Reagan Dinner — planned for April 11 — to “moo.” Lassner’s followers quickly suggested showing up in cow costumes, with cowbells and mooing noise-makers.