Supporters of former President Donald Trump denounced the death of Peanut the Squirrel as a case of government overreach, after New York state authorities raided his owner’s home, seized the squirrel, and euthanized it.
“Government overreach in action,” posted Elon Musk on X.
A pro-Trump meme account known as Mostly Peaceful Memes posted a scene from a John Wick movie along with “The Internet after hearing what they did to Peanut the Squirrel.”
Some also created artificial intelligence-created graphics of Peanut with Trump:
Some users released a fake statement from Trump on Peanut:
On Wednesday, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation officers seized and euthanized Peanut, who was a social media star with over a million TikTok followers, as well as a raccoon named Fred, from Mark Longo’s home after anonymous complaints.
Longo posted on Instagram on Friday, announcing their deaths:
It is with profound sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news: on October 30th, the DEC made the devastating decision to euthanize 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.
The DEC and Chemung County Department of Health said in a statement confirming the animals’ deaths, according to CBS News:
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 animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.
Longo took Peanut in seven years ago, after he saw his mother hit by a car in New York City, the Associated Press reported. He was reportedly in the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified as an educational animal when he was seized.
In an interview with TMZ, Longo said Peanut was the “cornerstone” of the non-profit animal rescue he and his wife Daniela created, called P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.
Longo said he did not have a clue as to why the complaint was made, or by whom.
“Ten to 12 DEC officers raided my house as if I was a drug dealer. I was sat outside my house for five hours. I had to get a police escort to my bathroom,” he said in the interview.
“I wasn’t even allowed to feed my rescue horses breakfast or lunch. I was [sat] there like a criminal after they interrogated my wife to check out her immigration status, then proceeded to ask me if I had cameras in my house, then proceeded to go through every cabinet, nook and cranny of my house for a squirrel and raccoon,” he added.
“Four departments, and a judge signed off on a search warrant for a squirrel in a raccoon. And then they took them and killed them,” he said. “He’s helped people, he’s helped kids gather joy. … He was the cornerstone of our life and our organization.”
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