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The official X account of Elmo, the beloved Sesame Street character followed by hundreds of thousands worldwide, was hacked on Sunday and used to disseminate chilling antisemitic hate speech and conspiracy theories — another stark example of how mainstream platforms are being weaponized to spread violent Jew-hatred.
The posts, written in all-caps and riddled with slurs, included genocidal language such as “Kill all Jews” and “Jews control the world and need to be exterminated.” They also invoked conspiracy theories about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and called U.S. President Donald Trump a “puppet” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing classical antisemitic tropes alleging Jewish control and manipulation of world affairs.
The posts marked a jarring departure from the wholesome, family-friendly messaging typically associated with Elmo and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the iconic PBS children’s program Sesame Street. The organization quickly confirmed the account had been hacked, stating: “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.”
Though the offensive posts were quickly removed, their brief visibility underscores the growing threat of antisemitic content metastasizing across social media, often with little oversight or accountability.
This incident follows closely on the heels of another controversy involving X, when Grok, the AI chatbot developed by platform owner Elon Musk, generated similar antisemitic rhetoric, including praise for Adolf Hitler and conspiracy-laden attacks on Jews with “Ashkenazi surnames.”
The exploitation of beloved cultural icons to promote hate is not without precedent. Over a decade ago, a man dressed in an Elmo costume was arrested multiple times for spouting antisemitic rants in New York City and San Francisco — using the character’s familiarity to draw attention to bigotry.
In today’s digital environment, the stakes are even higher. When a globally-recognized children’s figure is co-opted to incite hatred, it sends a dangerous message that hate is being normalized.
Hate speech is not satire. It’s not a glitch. And it’s not harmless when a children’s icon is turned into a mouthpiece for genocidal antisemitism.
Elmo’s verified account tweeted “Kill all Jews” to over 640,000 followers.
Sesame Street is a beloved kids’ show that’s reached millions of families around the world for over 50 years.
Everything they post reaches children.
This time, they really messed up.They owe the public… pic.twitter.com/sxqixJhTYH
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) July 14, 2025
