In an unsettling breach of digital security, the beloved children's character Elmo from Sesame Street had his official Twitter account compromised. On a seemingly peaceful Sunday afternoon, a series of offensive tweets containing antisemitic language and conspiracy theories were posted to the account before being swiftly removed.
The hacking episode began when the verified Elmo account unexpectedly promoted a cryptocurrency with the symbol $ELMO. This was soon followed by a barrage of hateful messages, including one that shockingly read, "Elmo says ALL JEWS SHOULD DIE," along with other derogatory comments about Jewish people. The posts also contained vulgar language directed at former President Donald Trump and baseless claims tying him to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
These malicious posts surfaced amidst the backdrop of a recent Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI update regarding the Epstein case. Officials had released a memo confirming Epstein's 2019 prison suicide and denouncing the existence of any "incriminating client list" or evidence of blackmail involving prominent individuals. This official stance starkly contradicted the assertions made in the hacked tweets.
President Trump took to his Truth Social platform to address the ongoing scrutiny of the Epstein case, defending his administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi. He lamented the attacks on his team, emphasizing unity under the MAGA banner and condemning what he perceived as politically motivated investigations. Trump's post also criticized the attention given to Epstein-related matters, implying that controversies were the creation of previous administrations.
The President's post on Truth Social read, "For years, it's Epstein, over and over again. Why are we giving publicity to Files written by Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 'Intelligence' Agents, 'THE LAPTOP FROM HELL,' and more?"
The hacked messages were quickly deleted by platform moderators or account administrators, but not before they caught the attention of social media users and news outlets. The breach has raised concerns about the security of high-profile social media accounts and the potential for harm when they are misused.
