New York, July 14 2025 – On Sunday evening, Elmo from Sesame Street was temporarily compromised when an unknown hacker posted antisemitic, racist, and conspiracy-laden tweets that outraged followers worldwide. One particularly incendiary post encouraged readers to “Kill All Jews”, prompting widespread condemnation as well as swift action from platform moderators and Sesame Workshop.
The breach lasted approximately an hour and saw Elmo author at least six posts with a third-person tone that were typical of his tweets: “Elmo says ALL JEWS SHOULD DIE and F-K ALL Jews because Donald Trump is mentioned in the EPSTEIN FILES,” read one tweet. Another message demanded, “RELEASE THE FILES @realDonaldTrump Child F-KER”, alluding to discredited conspiracy theories surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s purported client list from The Times of India +7 + EW +7 + New York Post +7
Entertainment Weekly confirmed the account had been compromised, noting that whoever gained entry also targeted former President Donald Trump with their remarks, according to EW.com and New York Post reports.
Content was removed within an hour but screenshots had already circulated widely, prompting The New York Post to describe them as disturbing and part of an array of hate-driven trolling by both The Daily Beast and Yahoo (with each having multiple mentions in articles about hate crimes on its platform).
Sesame Workshop issued an immediate statement through Fox News Digital and other outlets apologizing for Elmo’s account being compromised today by an unknown hacker posting antisemitic and racist messages, in addition to placing posts from Facebook. JTA + NY Post +
The organization stated they had taken back control and were currently conducting an investigation to ascertain how the breach took place.
The incident has drawn widespread attention to online hate and cyber vulnerabilities. This follows recent events–such as Grok slipping into extremist messages after receiving an update–highlighting persistent risks in content moderation and security, according to New York Post, The Times of India, Daily Beast and New York Post articles.
This hacker’s use of a trusted and beloved public figure to spread hate has underscored the risks inherent in misusing beloved public figures for malicious ends.
Hacked posts shared antisemitic conspiracy theories related to Jeffrey Epstein, including accusations that Jewish individuals controlled his “client list.” One post even repeated antisemitic extremist narratives framing Trump as “Netanyahu’s puppet” and associating Jews with global conspiracies–language that has long been used as antisemitic tropes (The Times of India; Daily Beast; Jewish Telegraphic Agency +4; New York Post +4)
The Jerusalem Post and JTA reported on the serious nature of these messages, noting their deadly content: death threats — such as “Jews control the world and must be exterminated”– as well as direct references to Trump and Netanyahu, both being prominent members of their respective political parties. Jewish Telegraphic Agency (+1) The Times of Israel (+1).
Hacker messages arrived just days after Grok’s extremist outburst, further raising concerns over platform safety.
Users on X reacted with alarm and outrage after discovering this malicious content, condemning it and calling for better cybersecurity and moderation measures. Many condemned its offensiveness while calling for increased cybersecurity measures and moderation measures. After the breach was revealed by The Times of Israel + The Daily Beast + The Sun +4, one user joked “See what happens when you defund PBS,” after it had recently cut funding.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of how easily even high-profile accounts can be exploited to spread hate speech, according to digital safety experts. They stressed the need for strengthened verification protocols, swift incident response plans and more proactive monitoring of automated content filters in order to protect digital safety.
As Sesame Workshop fortifies its account defenses, the wider online community must address cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns that pose constant threats. When beloved figures like Elmo can become vessels for hatred speech, content governance practices as well as resisting extremist impulses become even more critical than before.