 "How killing of Instagram-famous Peanut, the squirrel, has become flashpoint in US election")
The US presidential elections have seen both sides — the Republicans and the Democrats — battling it out over several issues — immigration, the economy, Israel’s war in Gaza and more. But as the elections draw closer, an unlikely issue has become the flashpoint between the two sides.
What is the issue that has Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance and supporters like Elon Musk attacking the US government and Kamala Harris? It’s the death of a little squirrel, who goes by the name of Peanut. However, this little rodent is no ordinary one — before his death, Peanut, who also went by the name P’Nut or PNUT, was a social media phenomenon, amassing thousands of fans on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms.
But how did this happen? Why was Peanut killed and why has that become a US presidential election issue?
We try to get to the kernel of the truth.
Who is Peanut?
Peanut the Squirrel, the cute-looking rodent, became an internet sensation after he was taken in by Mark Longo in Pine City, in the south-central part of New York along the Pennsylvania border, seven years ago.
According to Longo, he saw Peanut’s mother get hit by a car and die, and hence, he took in Peanut. Initially, it was meant to be temporary so that Peanut could go back to living outdoors when he was able, but Longo told _USA TODA_Y in 2022 that Peanut didn’t do well when he was released and got injured trying to live outdoors, so Longo brought him back in.
Living with Longo, he became viral on social media. Videos and images of Peanut eating treats, jumping on clothes and scurrying around the house garnered many views on social media and soon Peanut’s account on Instagram — @peanut_the_squirrel12 — raked in more than 600,000 followers.
Why was Peanut euthanised?
Last Wednesday, October 30, Peanut the Squirrel and Longo’s other pet, a raccoon named Fred, were seized from his home by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Multiple reports say that the DEC received multiple anonymous complaints about Peanut and showed up at Longo’s home with “at least six officers” to take Peanut and Fred away.
After Peanut and Fred were taken away, Longo took to Instagram to call out the individuals who made complaints to the DEC. “Well internet, you WON. You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness,” he said online. “To the group of people who called DEC, there’s a special place in hell for you.”
Later, on Friday, November 1, the DEC and Chemung county department of health said that they had euthanised Peanut and Fred. “On October 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 euthanised,” the agencies said in a statement. “The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.”
Following the confirmation, Longo took to Instagram to share his grief over the death of Peanut and Fred. “It is with profound sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news: on October 30, the DEC made the devastating decision to euthanise our beloved Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon. Despite our passionate outcry for compassion, the agency chose to ignore our pleas, leaving us in deep shock and grief,” an Instagram post said, accompanied by a video montage of the animals interacting with their smiling caretakers.
How has it become an election issue?
The euthanasia of Peanut soon became a talking point on social media with several Trump supporters also weighing in.
One such Trump supporter, @ighaworth, pointed out on X, “If Peanut the Squirrel was an illegal immigrant who was dealing fentanyl and raping women, New York Democrats would give him $5,000 and a cell phone.”
If Peanut the Squirrel was an illegal immigrant who was dealing fentanyl and raping women, New York Democrats would give him $5,000 and a cell phone. https://t.co/ioKYhTvmsT
— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) November 2, 2024
Another person to share their anger over the incident was Collin Rugg, a famous conservative personality on X. He said that the seizure and euthanasia of Peanut was a prime example of how government intervention has spiralled out of control.
Then, Trump’s biggest supporter, Elon Musk , also shared his opinion on the issue. On his own platform, X, he said, “Government overreach kidnapped an orphan squirrel and executed him”.
He then posted several more times about the incident, including one Star Wars-related post. He also claimed that the government was a “mindless and heartless killing machine.”
“If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine” Obi PNut Kenobi pic.twitter.com/dD2Xo0fSkr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024
Republican Congressman from New York, Nick Langworthy also expressed his frustration over Peanut’s death. He attacked New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul of the Democratic party, saying she had “misguided priorities”. “In New York State, we have sanctuaries for illegal immigrants while innocent pets are killed,” he wrote on social media.
Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr , also used Peanut’s death as ammunition to hit out at the Biden government. In a post on X, he said, “I can’t believe Democrats in New York killed the Elon Musk of squirrels!!!”
And it didn’t stop there. Even Trump’s vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance, used Peanut’s death to attack the Democrats. At a rally in Sanford, North Carolina on Sunday, Vance said, “The same government that doesn’t care about hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals coming into our country, doesn’t want us to have pets. It’s the craziest thing.”
JD Vance: “So I know Don is fired up about Peanut the Squirrel.” pic.twitter.com/0tu3sDZHls
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) November 4, 2024
Is this the first time pets are an issue amid the polls?
Notably, this isn’t the first time that pets have become an issue during this US presidential election. Earlier, during the campaign JD Vance and Trump gave voice to claims that Haitian immigrants in a town in Ohio were eating pet cats .
During the only presidential debate between Trump and Harris, the former US president said: “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating – they are eating the pets of the people that live there.”
His running mate, JD Vance , has also voiced this baseless claim, saying his evidence was “the first-hand accounts of my constituents”.
“The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes,” Senator Vance said. “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
With inputs from agencies
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