The internet has been obsessed with hippo Moo Deng since aww-inducing photos and videos of her went viral in September. But her take on the American election — and yes, a baby hippo in Thailand has a take on the American election — shows you can’t always trust an adorable book by its cover.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo, the Thai zoo where Moo Deng lives, presented the pygmy hippo with a choice on the eve of the election: a cake representing Kamala Harris, or a cake representing Donald Trump. Moo Deng happily chowed down on the Trump cake, signifying her endorsement of the Republican nominee.
The internet was quick to turn on Moo Deng following her endorsement of Trump. For many, that meant saying the ways they’d like to see her prepared as a delicious meal.
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For others, it meant revealing that they’d always looked down on the hippo, wishing that they could throw her to the crocodiles or make her into a stylish pair of boots.
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But Moo Deng still has her defenders, too: some pointed out that she’s only four months old, and she’s not even an American citizen. Who could blame a child on the other side of the globe for not fully grasping American politics?
Others thought her choice of cake was being completely misinterpreted. She ate the Trump cake, meaning only Harris’ cake was left behind. It could just as easily mean support for Harris as it does for Trump — but clearly, the mob would rather attack a vulnerable young woman than actually take her actions in context. Maybe that controversial SNL sketch from a few weeks back was onto something…
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