An anti-Donald Trump website fell for a statement from the former president that appeared to decry the death of internet-famous squirrel Peanut — only for those close to the Republican nominee to confirm that the fiery post was actually fake.
The liberal news site Mediaite published a since-deleted article Saturday based on the bizarre bogus press release that appeared to be from Trump’s campaign that was first posted on X by Gentry Genvers.
“It’s a fake statement,” Karoline Leavitt, from Trump’s team, told The Post Saturday afternoon.
“He didn’t actually say that,” Leavitt clarified of said statement, which described Peanut — who was euthanized after being seized from his upstate New York owners this week — as “innocent on all accounts” and compared the creature to a migrant.
“Mediaite is fake news,” Leavitt scoffed.
Mediaite subsequently issued a correction saying it had “erroneously reported on a fake statement attributed to Donald Trump.”
“Trump did not comment on the story in question nor did he or his campaign release any statements on it. We regret the post, and have removed it from our platforms,” the correction added.
Mediaite did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on the misprint.
The original X post from Gevers was shared as a response to Elon Musk, who wrote that, as president, Trump “will save the squirrels.”
In the faux comment, Trump seemingly lamented that Peanut and Fred the Raccoon were taken from their owner, Mark Longo, and “executed by the State of New York” thanks to “their terrible governor,” Democrat Kathy Hochul.
“If Peanut could have told them he was from Mexico, they would have sent him on his way and given him a hotel room and $500 gift card to Buddy Squirrel,” the rant added.
Trump, 78, is known for his hardline stance against illegal immigration — and has repeatedly publicly blamed the influx of new arrivals for violent crime in the US.
Peanut, 7, was a gray rescue squirrel who amassed a dedicated social media following.
He and Fred the Raccoon were put to death so that they could be tested for rabies, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The DEC claimed that Peanut, who was known for being very docile, bit one of the investigators on the hand when he was confiscated from Longo’s Elmira home on Wednesday.
The investigators were reportedly responding to anonymous complaints about wild animals living in the house.
Longo memorialized the squirrel in an emotional internet tribute.
“Peanut was the best thing that ever happened to us,” Longo said tearfully in the video, with his girlfriend by his side.
“RIP MY BEST FRIEND. Thank you for the best 7 years of my life. Thank you for bringing so much joy to us and the world. I’m sorry I failed you but thank you for everything,” he wrote in a caption to the post.
Longo rescued Peanut after he witnessed the squirrel’s mother being struck and killed by a car.
The pair’s close bond inspired Longo to relocate to upstate New York, where he founded “P’Nut’s Freedom Farm,” an animal sanctuary and rescue operation.