Elmo's X Account Hacked, Posts Expletive-Filled Antisemitic Rants

Last Sunday, Elmo's X account was compromised by an unknown hacker, resulting in the appearance of disgusting and antisemitic posts on the beloved "Sesame Street" character's social media profile. The posts have since been deleted, but widely circulated screenshots show Elmo apparently calling for violence against Jews and making references to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

"Elmo's X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts," a spokesperson for Sesame Workshop, the makers of "Sesame Street," told CNN in a statement. "We are working to restore full control of the account."

The tirade was a jarring departure from Elmo's usual upbeat, motivational posts and wholesome pictures with other "Sesame Street" characters or celebrities. Some of the posts even mimicked his habit of referring to himself in the third person.

A Week After Musk's AI Company Faced Backlash

The incident occurred just a week after Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI froze its Grok chatbot's X account after it began spouting antisemitic tropes and White nationalist talking points. The company later issued a lengthy apology, saying that a system update caused Grok to refer to "existing X user posts; including when such posts contained extremist views."

In June, a man was accused of targeting a group of people demonstrating in support of Israeli hostages with a firebombing attack, resulting in the death of an 82-year-old woman. In May, two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, DC were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum, and in April, an arsonist set the Pennsylvania governor's mansion on fire on the first night of Passover because of Gov. Josh Shapiro's views on the war in Gaza.

Elmo's Posts Referenced Epstein Case

The Elmo hacker's posts also referenced documents relating to the Epstein case, which has been in the headlines again in recent days. Last week, US President Donald Trump's administration released a memo about Epstein – an accused sex trafficker and disgraced financier who died by suicide in 2019 – that were directly at odds with conspiracy theories previously pushed by the president and some of his top lieutenants.

These incidents have been alarming to Jewish leaders in the United States, particularly in light of Hamas' deadly terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and Israel's subsequent response in Gaza, which has devastated the enclave. The rise in antisemitic threats has sparked widespread concern and outrage among the Jewish community.

A Spike in Antisemitic Threats

According to reports, there has been a surge in antisemitic threats since the Hamas attack on Israel. In May, two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, DC were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum; and, in April, an arsonist set the Pennsylvania governor's mansion on fire on the first night of Passover because of Gov. Josh Shapiro's views on the war in Gaza.

The Elmo hacker's posts are just one example of the increasing trend of antisemitic rhetoric online. As social media platforms grapple with the spread of hate speech, it's essential to address this issue and work towards creating a more inclusive and respectful online environment.