As ‘Sesame Street’ faces potential cuts, hackers deface Elmo’s X account

One of Elmo’s official social media accounts was hacked Sunday, leading to a series of racist and antisemitic posts before the issue was fixed. The beloved red puppet, known for its witty and educational role on “Sesame Street” across generations, was temporarily compromised on X, drawing swift attention and reaction from users.

Elmo’s account hacked with offensive posts

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Elmo and “Sesame Street,” told The Associated Press that it was working to fully regain control of the character’s X account following the hack.

“Elmo’s X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account,” a Sesame Workshop spokesperson said.

Hacker targets Trump and demands Epstein files

The now-deleted posts included uncensored messages targeting President Donald Trump, referring to him with a slur and labeling him a puppet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other posts spewed antisemitic language, directed toward Jewish people, before being taken down Sunday afternoon, July 13. The hacker also demanded the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein, the convicted sex offender who later died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex trafficking charges, was back in the public spotlight during the week of July 6. The messages came just days after the Department of Justice and FBI released a long-awaited report dismissing the existence of a so-called “client list.” 

Still, the findings have done little to quiet speculation. Some Trump supporters and right-wing media figures continue to suggest there’s more to the story, accusing federal authorities of a cover-up.

Public broadcasting at risk

The timing of the Elmo account hack comes just as the Senate prepares to vote during the week of July 13 on a proposal to eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the very system that brought the “Sesame Street” character to life. That means many stations could lose operating funds as early as fall, threatening content delivery, local coverage and educational programming like “Sesame Street.”

Under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, NPR, PBS and other outlets have relied on over $500 million annually from federal grants managed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. While NPR gets about 2% of its budget directly, PBS depends on roughly 15%, with more funds flowing to local stations via member organizations.

Supporters of the cut argue public broadcasters lean liberal and tax dollars shouldn’t support biased content. Critics also challenge PBS shows that feature topics like race and gender. Opponents counter that these outlets deliver essential news and educational content to underserved communities, with costs per taxpayer being very low.

If both chambers approve the cut by July 18 and it becomes law, grants would stop after September.