Hakeem Jeffries: “You Killed Elmo!”

With PBS having their free money get cutoff because of DOGE, there’s only one thing left to do.

And that’s pull out Elmo as a means to try to pull heartstrings.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was the one with that task.

He arrives before the House of Representatives, toy in hand, and shows the world the latest “victim” of the mean ol’ Republicans.

“Republicans are attacking Elmo.”

Hakeem Jeffries brings Elmo to the floor today in his defense of PBS.

Apparently, Sesame Street characters and illegal aliens are what Democrats are committed to represent now rather than Americans. pic.twitter.com/30uV2TPt3u

— David Joe May (@TheGrayRider) June 12, 2025

Fox News reports:

Elmo has a friend, indeed.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., brought along a stuffed friend to help make a point on the House floor Thursday.

Jeffries held up a stuffed Elmo doll while accusing Republicans of targeting beloved children’s shows like “Sesame Street” in their push to slash federal spending.

“Today, we are on the floor of the House of Representatives debating legislation that targets Elmo. And Big Bird. And Daniel Tiger and ‘Sesame Street,'” Jeffries said, waving the puppet as he railed against the GOP-led rescissions package.

The moment, widely circulated online, came during debate over the Republican-backed Proposed Rescissions of Budgetary Resources from President Trump, which would eliminate over $9 billion in unspent or low-priority federal funds.

Among the targeted programs: $3 million in taxpayer support for an international version of Sesame Street in Iraq.

Democrats objected to what they characterized as cultural and humanitarian vandalism disguised as fiscal responsibility. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., delivered one of the sharpest lines of the day: “While you all have killed off Elmo, I urge my colleagues to vote no on this trash and I yield back,” Garcia said.

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Republicans dismissed the theatrics and defended the package as a commonsense rollback of bloated, ideological spending. The bill also includes broader cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports PBS and NPR, long-time targets of fiscal conservatives who argue the taxpayer shouldn’t subsidize public media.

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., rebutted, “I never realized Elmo was more important to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle than the American people.”

Here’s the clip:

No, this is not AI.

This is really Hakeem Jeffries.

"Republicans are attacking Elmo"

WTF 😂 These people are clowns 🤡 pic.twitter.com/vTtGoteoBN

— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) June 12, 2025

Apparently this isn’t the first time Elmo has made a political appearance.

Elmo testifies in Congress for the House Appropriations subcommittee, espousing his support of music education and research in public schools. (2002) pic.twitter.com/g2uBkR8cpR

— crazy ass moments in american politics (@ampol_moment) March 26, 2022

You just never know when or where Elmo will pop up. Or who might show up with him.

Your thoughts?