New York state officials seized and euthanized an internet famous squirrel, Peanut, and a racoon named Fred. The incident sparked an online uproar that included a familiar topic: 2024 election misinformation.

“Well, Peanut found his way into the presidential election,” a Nov. 2 Facebook post said, featuring a statement attributed to former President Donald Trump on what looks like a campaign press release. 

“New York authorities, under their terrible Governor, put more effort into finding an eliminating a squirrel, who was innocent by all accounts, than they do to control the unchecked illegal immigrants who have flooded into their state,” the statement said.

The Facebook post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Threads and Instagram.)

Peanut the squirrel and Fred were both seized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation from their owner Mark Longo. Longo had cared for the squirrel for seven years. An Instagram account dedicated to Peanut the squirrel has more than 700,000 followers. Officials said the two animals were put down to test for rabies after Peanut bit a person involved in the investigation.