Elon Musk’s unexpected appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast just before Election Day delivered plenty of interesting moments, but one of the highlights was their conversation about how the killing of a squirrel had become a powerful motivator for voters.
You may have heard of P’Nut the squirrel, a social media sensation from New York rescued by Mark Longo after its mother was hit by a car. Longo raised P’Nut for seven years until New York state officials raided his home, seized the squirrel along with P’Nut’s adopted raccoon brother Fred, and euthanized them. Fans of P’Nut and Longo were heartbroken, viewing it as government overreach. The fact that New York used taxpayer resources to target a pet squirrel, while real crime surged across the state, only fueled more anger toward the government.
The story went viral nationwide, casting government agencies in a harsh light — a development unlikely to help Kamala Harris and the Democrats.
During their conversation, Musk and Rogan discussed P’Nut’s story and the wave of support it sparked for Donald Trump.
“How can it be that we live in America, supposedly the land of the free, and the government can barge into your home with guns, take your pets, and execute them?” Musk said. “If they can do that to your pets, what do you think they can do to you?”
When Rogan questioned why officials would kill such an innocent animal, Musk drew a comparison to the movie John Wick.
“It was a beloved pet squirrel and raccoon, too,” Musk explained. “And the government barges into people’s homes and kills them.”
“This should get people out there mobilized, frankly,” he added. “You saw John Wick, right? Where he just wants peace.”
“Then they killed his dog, and it was a bad idea,” Musk continued.
The John Wick reference was fitting. In the movie, Keanu Reeves stars as John Wick, a retired assassin whose wife leaves him a puppy to help him cope with her death. But when the puppy is killed by a mobster’s son, Wick embarks on a path of revenge that wipes out the entire crime family.
“And they shouldn’t have killed that squirrel,” Rogan concluded, calling John Wick “the greatest revenge movie of all time.”
While we may not know the full impact of P’Nut’s story until after Election Day, it’s hard to overlook the emotional power of a cute animal’s unnecessary death at the hands of government officials. Ideally, factors like the economy and public safety would be enough to influence voters, but sometimes it’s small, personal stories that resonate most deeply.
The John Wick series struck a chord with audiences because the senseless murder of an innocent puppy felt like grounds for justice against an entire crime syndicate. In P’Nut’s case, the “crime syndicate” is an overbearing and mismanaged New York state government. The incident exposed the dangers of excessive government power — a concern that many believe Harris and the Democrats embody.
Although we may not know for sure if P’Nut’s story will influence the election or be noted by researchers, it seems likely it will play a part.
