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.

"[11] 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.

"[8] The Pence family originally drew criticism online and questions regarding their care for Bundo, based on the observation that his nails were "far too long".

[a] According to The Fresno Bee, Bundo generally avoided partisan politics online, preferring instead to stick to "posting pictures of his bunny life, including being hugged by his mom, Charlotte Pence, the vice president's ... daughter, hopping around the house, and playing hide and seek with Pickle, the family cat".

[19] Photographs on Bundo's Instagram account show him "reading the Constitution, taking phone calls, signing documents, and working out on the treadmill".

[4] Proceeds from the book benefit Tracy's Kids, an art therapy program, and The A21 Campaign, which works to combat human trafficking.

[25][26] In response to the release of the parody, Marlon Bundo's Instagram account made a post featuring a photo of him wearing a bow tie nearly identical to the one worn by the bunny in the book.

#BOTUS – Marlon"[27][28] Proceeds from the book benefit The Trevor Project, which operates a crisis hotline for members of the LGBTQ community, and AIDS United.

[8][24] In December 2017, President Donald Trump reportedly described the presence of Bundo and the other family pets in the vice presidential residence as "low class".

[30] Writing for Jezebel, Ellie Shechet acknowledged Bundo's cuteness, but continued that it is "an indisputable fact that underneath his huge blinky eyes and nice fat tummy lies the twisted heart of a dirty trickster", and further accused him of using his "good looks and pleasant demeanor as a fluffy tool of mass obfuscation".

[10] Others called him the "only positive thing in Washington, D.C."[32] Writing in Vogue, Bridget Read summarized Bundo as "clearly a lover, not a fighter, based on how much he loves snuggling", but also that he is "clearly not new to navigating his own PR, and has demonstrated some media training".

[29] Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres, comedian John Oliver described Bundo as a "fantastic rabbit", adding, "if you have a problem with that bunny you're dead inside".