2 weeks Ago
Peanut The Squirrel may stand as the story of the weekend leading up to the presidential election this Tuesday. At least, it has led to comments from both President Trump and Elon Musk that reveal just how volatile things have become . Some backstory here: A pet squirrel became a fixation on social media after the owner, Mark Longo, posted heartwarming photos and videos on both Instagram and TikTok.
The Peanut the Squirrel account amassed about 559,000 followers on Instagram alone. According to multiple reports and a post by Longo himself, the pet squirrel was seized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and euthanized . Previous social media posts and videos revealed how Longo held a petition to keep Peanut the Squirrel alive , including a GoFundMe account that raised thousands for an animal rescue charity.
Trump and Musk respond President Trump released a statement to the media that reads: “There have been horrible reports out of New York, my former home state, where state environmental agents raided the home of Mark Longo and his wife. Mark was taken into custody for hours while officials searched his home and eventually took two of their pets, Fred the Raccoon and Peanut the Squirrel. These animals were later executed by the state of New York.
New York authorities, under their terrible Governor, put more effort in finding and eliminating a squirrel, who was innocent by all accounts, than they do to control the unchecked illegal immigrants who have flooded their state. If Peanut could have told them he was from Mexico, they would have sent him on his way and given him a hotel room and a $500 gift card to Buddy Squirrel. Instead, he was taken from his family.
Very sad, and a complete waste of resources! When we win, we will get our priorities in order and MAGA!” Elon Musk also responded on his X feed: The well-known entrepreneur and Trump advocate has posted several more times about the incident, including one Star Wars-related post: What the story typifies This is exactly the type of story that typifies the election. What Musk is really saying is that state authorities don’t have the right to seize and euthanize a pet from someone’s home. Trump is essentially saying the same thing.
They are both rallying around Longo because the election this year has become mostly about how much control the government should have. One thing is obvious: Everyone has an opinion during the election, and they are sharing it on social media in such a rapid-fire format that it’s often hard to keep up. The story about Peanut the Squirrel might serve as a final reminder about what has divided voters all along.
Now there’s a whole new reason to debate each other..
