Anti-Trump website falls for fake statement about Peanut the Squirrel's death

An anti-Donald Trump website fell for a statement from the former president that appeared to denounce the death of Internet-famous squirrel Peanut — only for people close to the Republican candidate to confirm that the heated post was in fact fake.

Liberal news site Mediaite published a now-deleted article on Saturday based on the bizarre fake press release apparently from Trump's campaign, first published on X by Gentry Genvers.

“It’s a fake statement,” Karoline Leavitt from Trump’s team told The Post on Saturday afternoon.

“He didn't actually say that,” Leavitt clarified the statement, which described Peanut – who was euthanized after being seized by his owners in New York state this week – as “innocent in every way” and the creature with compared to a migrant.

“Mediaite is fake news,” Leavitt scoffed.

Mediaite then issued a correction, saying it had “incorrectly reported a fake statement attributed to Donald Trump.”

“Trump has not commented on the story in question, nor have he or his campaign released any statements about it. We regret the post and have removed it from our platforms,” the correction reads.

Mediaite did not immediately respond to the Post's request for comment on the misprint.

Gevers' original X post was shared in response to Elon Musk, who wrote that Trump as president will “save the squirrels.”

In the false comment, Trump apparently lamented that Peanut and Fred the Raccoon were taken away from their owner Mark Longo and “executed by New York State” thanks to “their terrible governor,” Democrat Kathy Hochul.

“If Peanut could have told them he was from Mexico, they would have sent him away and given him a hotel room and a $500 Buddy Squirrel gift card,” the rant added.

Trump, 78, is known for his tough 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 built a loyal following on social media.

According to the Department of Environmental Protection, he and Fred the raccoon were killed so they could be tested for rabies.

The DEC alleged that Peanut, who was considered very docile, bit one of the investigators on the hand when he was seized from Longo's home in Elmira on Wednesday.

Investigators were reportedly responding to anonymous complaints about wildlife living in the home.

Longo paid tribute to 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.

“Tear apart 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 let you down, but thank you for everything,” he wrote in a caption to the post.

Longo rescued Peanut after witnessing the squirrel's mother being hit by a car and killed.

The pair's close bond inspired Longo to move to upstate New York, where he founded P'Nut's Freedom Farm, an animal shelter and rescue operation.