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How the killing of the Instagram-famous Peanut squirrel became a focal point of the US elections – Firstpost

In the US presidential election, both sides – the Republicans and the Democrats – fought over several issues – immigration, the economy, Israel's war in Gaza and more. But as the election neared, an unlikely issue became a flashpoint between the two sides.

What is the problem that is driving Donald Trump's Vice President JD Vance and supporters like Elon Musk to attack the US government and Kamala Harris? It's the death of a little squirrel named Peanut. However, this little rodent is no ordinary animal – before his death, Peanut, who was also known as P'Nut or PNUT, was a social media phenomenon and had thousands of fans on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms.

But how did this come about? Why was Peanut killed and why has this become an issue in the US presidential election?

We are trying to get to the core of the truth.

Who is Peanut?

Peanut the Squirrel, the cute-looking rodent, became an Internet sensation after he was taken in seven years ago by Mark Longo in Pine City, southern New York, on the Pennsylvania border.

According to Longo, he saw Peanut's mother get hit by a car and die, so he took Peanut in. It was originally intended to be temporary so that Peanut could live outdoors again when he was able, but Longo told _USA TODA_Y in 2022 that Peanut was not doing well when he was released and he hurt himself while trying to live outdoors live, injured, so Longo brought him back in.

Peanut became famous after Mark Longo took him in seven years ago. File image/AP

He lived with Longo and went viral on social media. Videos and pictures of Peanut eating treats, jumping on clothes, and scurrying around the house garnered many views on social media, and soon Peanut's Instagram account – @peanut_the_squirrel12 – reached more than 600,000 followers.

Why was Peanut euthanized?

Last Wednesday, October 30, Peanut the squirrel and Longo's other pet, a raccoon named Fred, were confiscated from his home by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Multiple reports said the DEC received several 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 people who had complained 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 is a special place in hell for you.”

Mark Longo with his pet squirrel Peanut, who was confiscated by officials and then euthanized in New York. File image/AP

Later, on Friday, November 1, the DEC and the Chemung County Health Department said they had euthanized Peanut and Fred. “On October 30, DEC seized a raccoon and a squirrel that were sharing a residence with humans, posing a risk of rabies to humans. In addition, a person involved in the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized,” authorities said in a statement. “The animals will be tested for rabies and anyone who has come into contact with these animals is strongly advised to consult their doctor.”

Following the confirmation, Longo took to Instagram to share his sadness over the deaths of Peanut and Fred. “It is with deep sadness that we share the heartbreaking news: On October 30, the DEC made the devastating decision to euthanize our beloved Peanut squirrel and Fred our raccoon. Despite our impassioned cries for compassion, the agency ignored our pleas, leaving us in deep shock and sadness,” said an Instagram post, accompanied by a video montage of the animals interacting with their smiling caretakers.

How did it become a campaign issue?

Peanut's euthanasia soon became a topic of conversation on social media, with several Trump supporters also speaking out.

One such Trump supporter, @ighaworth, pointed out on

Another person who expressed anger over the incident was Collin Rugg, a famous conservative figure on

Then Trump's biggest supporter, Elon Musk, also shared his opinion on the matter. On his own Platform X, he said: “The government kidnapped and executed an orphaned squirrel.”

He then posted several more times about the incident, including a Star Wars-themed post. He also claimed the government was a “mindless and heartless killing machine.”

New York Republican Congressman Nick Langworthy also expressed frustration over Peanut's death. He attacked New York Gov. Kathy Hochul of the Democratic Party, saying she had “set the wrong priorities.” “In New York State, we have sanctuaries for illegal immigrants while innocent pets are being killed,” he wrote on social media.

Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. also used Peanut's death as ammunition to take action against the Biden administration. In a post on

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.”

Are pets an issue in the surveys for the first time?

Notably, this isn't the first time pets have become an issue in this US presidential election. Previously on the campaign trail, JD Vance and Trump claimed that Haitian immigrants were eating domestic cats in an Ohio town.

A man carries an AI-generated image of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump carrying cats away from Haitian immigrants, a reference to falsehoods that emerged during a campaign rally for Trump at the Tucson Music Hall in Tucson, Arizona, via Springfield, Ohio , were spread. File image/AFP

During the only presidential debate between Trump and Harris, the former US president said: “In Springfield they eat the dogs.” The people who came in eat the cats. They eat – they eat the pets of the people who live there.”

His running mate, JD Vance, also made this baseless claim, saying his evidence was “the first-hand accounts of my constituents.”

“The American media completely ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes,” said Senator Vance. “If I have to make up stories so that the American media will actually pay attention to the suffering of the American people, then I will.”

With input from agencies

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