On the evening of Sunday, July 13, 2025, the official X account of beloved Sesame Street character Elmo was reportedly hacked, leading to a flurry of offensive posts that stunned users worldwide. The account, with over 640,000 followers, posted vile antisemitic messages, including calls to “Kill all Jews” and “Elmo says ALL JEWS SHOULD DIE. F—JEWS.” The hacker also targeted President Donald Trump, demanding he “RELEASE THE FILES @realDonaldTrump CHILD F*****” in reference to Jeffrey Epstein’s documents, while accusing Trump of being “NETANYAHU’S PUPPET BECAUSE HE IS IN THE EPSTEIN FILES.” Additional posts included racist slurs against Black people and promoted a dubious cryptocurrency called $ELMO.
The posts, which appeared around 7:20 p.m. ET, were deleted within minutes, but screenshots circulated rapidly. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, confirmed the breach in a statement: “Elmo’s X account was compromised today by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account.” X temporarily suspended the account before reinstating it.
Reactions poured in from across the political spectrum. Utah Sen. Mike Lee tweeted, “I’m forever scarred… by @elmo,” while Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz quipped, “See what happens when you defund PBS @elmo.” Users expressed horror, with one noting, “This is disgusting! My little sister loves watching Elmo.” The incident highlighted vulnerabilities in high-profile accounts, especially those aimed at children, amid rising online hate. As of July 14, no hacker has been identified, but it underscores the need for stronger platform security.
The hack comes amid broader tensions, including Trump’s recent push to defund PBS, which funds Sesame Street, and ongoing Epstein file debates.
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