Marlon Bundo, also known as Bunny of the United States (BOTUS), (2012/2013 – January 15, 2022) was a rabbit, belonging to the family of Mike Pence, the 48th and former Vice President of the United States.
Bundo was initially adopted for a film project by Pence's daughter Charlotte Pence during her freshman year. His name is a pun on actor Marlon Brando, chosen after Bundo's previous owner said "Make me an offer" when Pence asked about his price. He was the first rabbit to haved travel on Air Force Two, has a popular Instagram account, and is the subject of two children's books.
The rabbit Marlon Bundo was named after actor Marlon Brando and lived with the Pence family at the United States Naval Observatoryfrom 2017 until 2021. Other pets owned by the second couple include an Australian Shepherd named Harley, and two cats named Hazel and Pickle.
Marlon Bundo was acquired via Craigslist by Pence's daughter Charlotte Pence in 2013 when she was a freshman at DePaul University. At the time she needed a rabbit for a short film student project. In the film, Bundo portrayed a "symbol of rebellion in a world of conformity" as a rabbit who repeatedly escapes from his cage. Before this, Bundo was "just another scrappy Chicago bunny".
Pence texted Bundo's owner to ask how much the rabbit cost, and the owner replied, "Make me an offer." In Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and the 1972 film of the same name, Marlon Brando's Don Vito Corleone says, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." Pence's friend, a Brando fan, noticed the similarity between the seller and Corleone, and suggested naming the rabbit Marlon Brando. Pence finally decided to name him Marlon Bundo. Speaking to The Chicago Tribune Charlotte recalled:
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