An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanised by New York authorities triggering the latest flashpoint between Trump and Harris supporters just ahead of the US Presidential elections on November 5.
With 537,000 followers on Instagram, the orphaned black squirrel had fans around the world who delighted in his exploits, such as nibbling on waffles and doffing tiny costumes.
After anonymous complaints, officers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Mark Longo’s home near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City.
“On Oct. 30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized,” the agencies 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 (formally twitter) to voice outrage. The “dark gothic MAGA” criticised authorities and said that Donald Trump would “save the squirrels.” He also asked, “Why is the Democratic Party so cruel?”
In a series of posts, Musk slammed the government for “overreach” in the case of Peanut the Squirrel and wrote, “President @realDonaldTrump will save the squirrels.”
Government overreach kidnapped an orphan squirrel and executed him, said Musk.
“John Wick just wanted peace, but then [they] killed his innocent, beloved dog,” read one of Musk’s posts.
Peanut the Squirrel’s death has quickly become a rallying point for former President Trump’s supporters on X, where AI-generated memes of the animal donning MAGA hats, aiming AR-15s and perched on Trump’s shoulder are doing rounds.
New Yorker Mark Longo said he rescued the animal after seeing its mother killed by a car, going on to bottle feed the baby squirrel before attempting to release him into the wild. he animal lost part of its tail and returned to Longo, living with him for seven years.
“Internet, you WON. You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called (the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), there’s a special place in hell for you,” Longo wrote in an Instagram post mourning his “best friend”.