‘The Democrats murdered the Elon Musk of squirrels’: MAGA somehow managed to politicize a squirrel’s death

Republicans are claiming the death of a squirrel is emblematic of the supposed dark, authoritarian Democratic government. The worst part is that they are actually 100% serious about using a squirrel as the new rallying cry for MAGA.

It’s unclear how MAGA became obsessed with Peanut the Squirrel (a.k.a. P’Nut), as the sad story has nothing to do with the upcoming election or Democrats whatsoever. Peanut gained social media fame after TikTok influencer Mark Longo rescued him. Longo took the squirrel in after its mother was killed. He trained it and kept it as his pet for over seven years. On TikTok, Peanut gained a large following as Longo posted countless videos of the squirrel doing tricks, eating waffles, and jumping onto his shoulder. Sadly, an anonymous person decided to lodge a complaint with the Department of Environmental Conservation, claiming the animal was being kept illegally and in unsafe conditions. It is true that Longo owned the squirrel illegally and did not attain the license required to keep a wild animal. Hence, on October 30, the DEC seized Peanut and a raccoon found in Longo’s home.

Longo and his followers were initially uncertain about Peanut and the raccoon’s fate. However, the DEC then confirmed that the animals had been euthanized. It claimed the euthanization was necessary because Peanut allegedly bit someone involved in the investigation, thus creating the need for the animals to be tested for rabies. The story has sparked outrage among viewers, especially as Longo has candidly shared his grief and devastation over losing his beloved pets. While he should have followed the law, it appears the DEC could’ve taken less drastic steps to remedy the issue instead of taking and euthanizing an animal that had caused no problems for seven years. For some reason, though, MAGA has become bizarrely invested in the situation.

Why are Republicans losing it over Peanut the Squirrel?

Republicans got wind of the story and somehow managed to twist it around to create a bizarre narrative that Democrats killed Peanut. Donald Trump’s running mate, J. D. Vance, claimed the former president was really “fired up” over Peanut. In a statement that almost sounds too weird to be true, Vance told a MAGA crowd, “He [Trump] was like, ‘You know, is it really the case that the Democrats murdered the Elon Musk of squirrels?'”

One of Trump’s most prominent fans, Elon Musk, has also become concerningly obsessed with Peanut. The billionaire has made over a dozen unhinged posts about Peanut. One post includes a meme that reads, “If they will raid a house for a squirrel, they’re sure as s—t going to come after you.” In another post, Musk wrote, “Vote For PNut! For Liberty! For Freedom!” Yet another post claims, “The people who want to take your guns invaded a home to murder a squirrel and a raccoon.” His posts range from plain weird to outright hysterical, leaving many confused users wondering what is happening.

Georgia Representative Mike Collins also contributed to the hysteria, telling a crowd of supporters, “Trump’s running against a socialistic, big government, control everything about you, woke regime. This thing’s gotten so bad that they’re killing the pets, they’re killing the squirrels, they’re killing the raccoons!” MAGA is really saying, “Democrats killed a squirrel! They’re coming for us next!” as if it’s a perfectly logical, rational statement.

With how MAGA is acting, one would think Kamala Harris herself busted down Peanut’s door and executed him in cold blood. Of course, this isn’t what happened. It’s a tricky legal situation involving the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Also, the conservatives screaming that Democrats killed Peanut should look up who founded the New York DEC. It was Nelson Rockefeller, who, you guessed it, was a Republican. The Peanut incident is a situation between a New York state department and a civilian that, if necessary, will be resolved in court. While it should spark a conversation about wildlife ownership laws and how officials react to situations like these, there’s no way to connect it to Democrats.

Of course, the GOP isn’t the party of rationality and logic, so they’ll continue trying to sway the election with chants of Peanut. Even if the situation had something to do with Democrats, it still would hardly make sense. All of America is supposed to vote for the convicted felon who overturned Roe v. Wade and might be tied to the right-wing manifesto Project 2025 because of … a squirrel? Women might not have any rights under Trump, and immigrants may be subjected to violence, but MAGA says it’s okay because the squirrels will have justice. You know Republicans are beyond desperate when they legitimately start politicizing squirrels because they have so little going for their cause.