Elon Musk fumes after social media star squirrel Peanut euthanised for rabies testing, says 'Trump will save squirrels'

In a series of posts on X, Elon Musk sharply criticised the government for what he described as “overreach” in the handling of a case involving Peanut the Squirrel.

Tech giant Elon Musk has started an online campaign against the Democratic Party as US citizens prepare to vote on Tuesday, November 5, to elect their next president.

Musk, who owns the social media platform X, expressed his outrage over the killing of internet sensation Peanut the Squirrel by authorities. The squirrel was seized from its owner’s home and euthanised by state officials. The tech giant criticised the authorities, claiming that former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump would “save the squirrels.”

In a series of posts on X, Elon Musk sharply criticised the government for what he described as “overreach” in the handling of a case involving Peanut the Squirrel.

"Government overreach kidnapped an orphan squirrel and executed him,” Musk wrote, condemning what he considered unnecessary interference. “The government should leave people and their animals alone,” he added.

Peanut’s death quickly became a rallying symbol for supporters of former President Trump on X. Many shared AI-generated images of the squirrel sporting MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats.

Peanut’s death quickly became a rallying symbol for supporters of former President Trump on X. Many shared AI-generated images of the squirrel sporting MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats.

According to a statement from the DEC, on October 30 they removed a raccoon and a squirrel from a residence due to potential rabies exposure. Additionally, a person involved in the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanised, CBS News reported.