Fact Check: Did Donald Trump condemn death of Peanut the Squirrel?

The liberal news site Mediaite published an article, now deleted, based on what appeared to be an official press release from Trump’s campaign. This post, which first surfaced on X by user Gentry Genvers, was later clarified as a hoax. Karoline Leavitt, a member of Trump’s team, explained to The Post that it was indeed a “fake statement” and confirmed that Trump “didn’t actually say that,” referring to the post describing Peanut—who had been euthanised after being seized from his upstate New York owners—as “innocent on all accounts” and likening the squirrel to a migrant. Leavitt further dismissed Mediaite as “fake news.”