2024 US Presidential Election: Death of Peanut Squirrel Fuels Latest Showdown Between Trump, Harris Supporters

An orphaned squirrel turned social media star named Peanut has been euthanized by New York City authorities, sparking the latest flare-up between Trump and Harris supporters ahead of the November 5 US presidential election.

With 537,000 followers on Instagram, the orphaned black squirrel had fans around the world who marveled at his exploits, such as chomping on waffles and shedding tiny suits.

After anonymous complaints, state Department of Environmental Protection officials removed the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Mark Longo’s home near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City.

“On Oct. 30, DEC removed a raccoon and a squirrel that were living with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, the squirrel bit the person involved in the investigation. Both animals were euthanized to test for rabies,” the agency said in a statement, CBS News in New York reported.

The incident caught the attention of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who took to X (officially on Twitter) to express his outrage. “Dark Gothic MAGA” criticized the authorities and said that Donald Trump “will save the squirrel”. He also asked, “Why is the Democratic Party so violent?”

In a series of posts, Musk criticized the government for “overreaching” in the Peanut Squirrel case and wrote: “President @realDonaldTrump will save the squirrel.”

According to Musk, the government kidnapped an orphaned squirrel and executed it.

“John Wick just wanted peace, but then (they) killed his innocent, beloved dog,” said one of Musk’s posts.

The death of Peanut the squirrel quickly became a rallying point for former President Trump’s supporters on X, where AI-generated memes of animals wearing MAGA hats, aiming AR-15s and sitting on Trump’s shoulders are calling the shots.

New York resident Mark Longo said he rescued the animal after seeing its mother hit by a car and bottle-fed the cub before trying to release it into the wild. the animal lost part of its tail and returned to Longo, living with him for seven years.

“Internet, you WIN. You took one of the most amazing animals from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called (the New York State Department of Environmental Protection), there is a special place in hell for you,” Longo wrote in an Instagram post, mourning his “best friend.”