Highlights:
- Elmo’s official X (formerly Twitter) account was hacked on Sunday, 13 July 2025
- The account posted antisemitic and explicit messages before all content was deleted
- Sesame Workshop confirmed the breach and condemned the offensive material
- Public figures across the political spectrum responded to the posts
- The incident comes amid recent political scrutiny of PBS funding
Elmo’s official X account was compromised on Sunday, resulting in a series of offensive posts that included antisemitic language and references to conspiracy theories, according to Sesame Workshop.
The account, which has over 640,000 followers, shared a number of disturbing and explicit messages before they were swiftly deleted. Screenshots circulating online captured some of the content, which included highly inflammatory and racist remarks.
Offensive posts spark backlash
All posts and replies were take downX/ Elmo
One of the posts included the phrase “Kill all Jews”, while another referenced former US President Donald Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein case, reading: “RELEASE THE FILES @realDonaldTrump CHILD F---ER”. A third post stated: “Elmo says ALL JEWS SHOULD DIE… JEWS CONTROL THE WORLD AND NEED TO BE EXTERMINATED.”
The account also responded to other users using similar language before all posts and replies were taken down.
Sesame Workshop issues statement
In response to the incident, Sesame Workshop, which operates the character’s social media presence, released a statement confirming the breach.
“Elmo’s X account was compromised today by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We are working to restore full control of the account.”
Political figures and journalists react
House Democrat mocks DOGE hearing with questions about Sesame Street characters Fox News
The posts drew widespread attention on social media, prompting reactions from politicians and journalists from across the political spectrum.
Senator Mike Lee (Republican, Utah) wrote: “I’m forever scarred … by @elmo. Words I never expected to utter.”
Deputy editor of HuffPost, Philip Lewis, commented: “I thought we all agreed @elmo is off limits.”
Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz tweeted: “See what happens when you defund PBS @elmo.”
Matthew Foldi, editor-in-chief of Washington Reporter, remarked: “Elmo would win at least 10% in a nationwide Democratic primary based on these tweets alone.”
Incident follows PBS funding debate
The hacking incident comes at a time when Sesame Street and PBS have been at the centre of a broader political debate. In May, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at pulling federal funding from PBS. The move followed Republican-led efforts in Congress to reduce public broadcasting budgets, with Sesame Street often cited in the discussions.
At the time of writing, Sesame Workshop has not confirmed whether law enforcement or cybersecurity experts have been engaged to investigate the source of the breach. The account is now back under the control of its administrators, and no further offensive posts have appeared since the incident.
