Moo Deng makes surprising prediction for US presidential elections

Photo courtesy: สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว Khao Kheow Open Zoo | X

IN A recently posted video, beloved pygmy hippo and internet sensation Moo Deng has predicted who they think will win the upcoming US presidential elections.

How? By eating a cake made of fruit, of course.

In the video, Moo Deng is given two cakes by her caretaker, with one representing Former President Donald Trump and the other, Vice President Kamala Harris.

When choosing which one to eat, Moo Deng started chowing down on the cake that had Trump’s name on it, while a larger hippopotamus – assumedly Moo Deng’s mother, Jona – ate that of Kamala’s.

On X, the Khao Kheow Zoo that houses Moo Deng explained that she chose Trump because the piece of dragon fruit there was bigger.

Moo Deng originally became famous online after her handlers started posting photos and videos of her to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and since then, people have fallen in love with her.

She serves as a serotonin booster for many given her silly and wild antics, often seen in her videos either eating, sleeping, or throwing a fit toward said handlers.

Reactions online

Since being posted, the video has received mixed reactions, though very few are taking it seriously given that the baby hippo’s “prediction” has no actual bearing on the US elections.

“This was a misinterpretation,” said one user on X under a tweet discussing Moo Deng’s prediction.

“Moo Deng was trying to express the saying of ‘eating the rich’, therefore eating Donald Trump, signifying he wants him out of the presidental race and in turn endorsing Kamala Harris.”

Another, in defense of Moo Deng, said: “She only began eating solid food [two] weeks ago, what makes you think she even cares about the US elections? She simply picked the bigger fruit.”

“SHE’S JUST A BABY SHE DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT POLITICS PLEASE JUST GIVE HER A BREAK,” said another user, accompanied by a flurry of crying emojis.

Others have also joked that neither are going to win, instead making callbacks to the presidential poll released by “The Tonight Show” in September.

This poll asked who people were planning to vote for for the upcoming elections; instead of saying Trump or Harris, 93% of those asked instead said: “I’m writing-in Moo Deng the hippo.”

The polls so far

As of the morning of November 6, several polls have closed across the United States as millions have cast their vote for the next president of the United States.

Trump is projected to win in the states of Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Harris is projected to win in Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Washington, DC. If she were to be elected president, she would be not only the first female president of the United States, but the first female woman of color in the position, as well.

Trump, on the other hand, would be the first felon president. He would also be the second to serve non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president of the United States.

At present, the New York Times reports that Harris has dominated 113 states, while Trump has 210; in total, 270 are needed to win.

They also report that Trump has an 87% chance of victory based on his current standing.

Gaby Agbulos

Gaby Agbulos wants nothing more than to become a writer -- to be able to tell stories unheard of by the masses. She is currently majoring in Communication at the University of Santo Tomas, and after college, hopes to make an impact with the stories she writes, be it big or small.