Elmo challenges Trump to 'release the files' on X. Sesame Street confirms he was hacked

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Elmo on Friday, September 15, 2023 -- (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Was Elmo hacked?

What we know:

The Sesame Street star published – and deleted – a post on X challenging President Donald Trump to "release the files" with an NSFW message.

WARNING: The following posts contain inappropriate and hateful messages. This story is not appropriate for viewers of all ages.

"Release the files [Donald Trump] child ******," the post read.

Users on social media shared screensots of the since-deleted post.

In addition to "challenging" Trump, the Muppet character posted antisemetic messages before deleting the posts.

What they're saying:

FOX News reports Elmo was indeed hacked. The network received a statement by officials with Sesame Workshop:

"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."

The backstory:

Elmo's hacker is the latest to challenge – or mock – the Trump administration over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files that reportedly never existed.

The so-called "Epstein list" had been a national topic during Trump's second term after Attorney General Pam Bondi had promised to release the documents linked to the disgraced financier months before federal agents debunked the AG's idea.

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Earlier in the year, a group of pro-Trump social media influencers and conservative media personalities posed outside the White House holding binders that read "The Epstein Files," in reference to Bondi's Feb. 2025 promise to make the documents public.

Epstein’s crimes and ties to powerful figures have been heavily documented through lawsuits and FOIA requests. Epstein abused minors for years before dying by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial.

The case drew widespread attention because of Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell’s links to royals, presidents and billionaires. Epstein and Trump had known each other and the two were pictured together during parts of the 1990s and early 2000s before the duo had a reported falling out near the mid-2000s.