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Everyone’s favourite furry red monster from Sesame Street just can’t catch a break…
Earlier this month, Elmo learned the hard way that New York Knicks fans don’t go in for diplomacy when he wished both the Knicks and their NBA Finals opponents, the San Antonio Spurs, well just before tip-off.
“Elmo hopes both teams have fun!”, he wrote on X in his typically wholesome manner.
This was met with fury and a tirade of colourfully worded reactions from Knicks supporters, with one savagely responding: “Don’t you dare forget your roots you little red f***.”
The backlash died down once the Knicks emerged triumphant, and now, Elmo is finding himself at the heart of yet another sports-based controversy.
Having learned from his NBA SNAFU, Elmo got off the fence and shared on social media that he is supporting Team USA during the FIFA World Cup tournament.
“Just to be clear, Elmo wants Team USA to win. OK?,” said Elmo, sporting a Team USA jersey, before alluding to the basketball drama. “But Elmo loves everybody. Just to be clear. Don’t make this a thing.”
Despite clearly asking for no histrionics, the House Republicans’ official X account responded to Elmo’s video and branded the character a “certified PATRIOT”.
It didn’t take much time for people to point out that the majority of the GOP voted for a bill in July 2025 to cut funding for the free-to-air channel Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) – the network which hosted episodes of the beloved children’s show Sesame Street.
Donald Trump issued the executive order to block federal funding for PBS and the National Public Radio (NPR) network, alleging they engaged in “biased and partisan news coverage”.
Only two Republicans sided with the Democrats in voting against the proposal.
Faced with the “PATRIOT” response, many have called out Republican “hypocrisy”…
Check out some of the reactions below:
Spare a thought for Elmo and his PR team, who have another “thing” on their hands.
The US Team have won both their games, beating Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0. Their next game is against Turkey on Friday 26 June.