Peanut the Squirrel: Fact Check: Did Donald Trump Condemn the Death of Peanut the Squirrel? | World News

An anti-Donald Trump website was misled by a statement it said was made up by the former president expressing sadness over the death of Peanut, an internet-famous squirrel. However, sources close to the Republican candidate confirmed that this inflammatory statement was a fabrication.
The Liberal News Site Mediait published a now-deleted article that was based on what appeared to be an official press release from Trump's campaign. This post, which first appeared on X by user Gentry Genvers, was later revealed to be a joke. Caroline Leavitta member of Trump's team, told The Post that it was in fact a “false statement” and confirmed that Trump “didn't actually say that,” referring to the post that described Peanut – the had been euthanized after being confiscated from his upstate New York owner – as “innocent in every way” and likening the squirrel to an immigrant. Leavitt also called Mediaite “fake news.”
Following the incident, Mediaite issued a correction acknowledging that it had “incorrectly reported a fake statement attributed to Donald Trump” and confirmed that neither Trump nor his campaign had commented on the story in question or released any statements related to it. The article was subsequently removed, but Mediaite did not respond to the Post's request for comment on the oversight.

Gevers' first post was intended as a response to Elon Musk's post about Trump, suggesting that “Trump as president will save the squirrels.” In the made-up response, Trump appeared to lament that Peanut and Fred the Raccoon had been “seized and executed by New York State” because of “their terrible governor,” a Democrat. Kathy Hochul. The post suggested that if Peanut had claimed he was “from Mexico,” he would have been “sent on his way with a hotel room and a gift card.”

At 78, Trump remains a vocal supporter of tough immigration policies and often attributes violent crime in the U.S. to the arrival of new migrants. Peanut, a seven-year-old gray squirrel with a loyal online following, had become an internet sensation. He was euthanized along with Fred the raccoon to make this possible Department of Environmental Protection (DEC) to test for rabies. The DEC said Peanut, normally docile, bit an investigator on the hand when he was seized from Mark Longo's Elmira residence. Investigators reportedly visited Longo's home after receiving anonymous complaints about wildlife being kept at the home.
Longo paid tribute to Peanut in an emotional online video, recalling the deep bond he had with the squirrel and expressing heartfelt gratitude for the joy Peanut brought to his life. Longo, who rescued Peanut after witnessing the animal's mother being killed by a car, expressed his remorse, writing in a post that Peanut was “the best thing that ever happened to us” and that it was him “I'm sorry to have let him down.” The pair's connection eventually inspired Longo to move to upstate New York, where he founded P'Nut's Freedom Farm, an animal shelter and rescue initiative.