After President Donald Trump’s PBS defunding order, people are eyeing a particular Sesame Street episode as a potential motivation. Last week, Trump issued an executive order telling the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other agencies to stop funding the Public Broadcasting Service, and the internet was quick to dig up an old Sesame Street gag about Ronald Grump.
Trump set PBS and NPR in his sights long ago, alleging “bias” against conservatives. The move to cut funding is popular among right-wing circles in spite of a heartbreaking LinkedIn post by Elmo saying he’d been laid off.
Ronald Grump vs. Sesame Street
Days after the executive order went live, social media users unearthed a clip from PBS favorite Sesame Street circa 1994. In the episode, Elmo and other characters confront Ronald Grump, played by Joe Pesci, about his plans to raze the street to build a new Grump Tower.
TikTok user @bonehead1962 condensed this episode into a short video on May 7. It spread to X on the same day thanks to user @Suzierizzo1, where it gained over 1.1 million views.
@bonehead1962 Ronald Grump plans to Demolish Sesame Street and build a High Rise 1994
♬ Sesame Street Theme Song (Instrumental Version) – Lullabyes & The O’Neill Brothers Group
After Elmo’s group says they want to talk to him, Grump reveals a hologram tower out of his briefcase.
“Out of the ruins of Sesame Street rises the gleaming tower of Grump,” said Pesci.
“Where’s 123 Sesame Street?” asked another character.
“I’m glad you asked that,” Grump responded. “It is now a luxurious boutique called ‘If You Have To Ask, You Can’t Afford It.’”
Elmo then attempts to show Ronald Grump why Sesame Street is so valuable, but it doesn’t go so well.
“I am deeply and profoundly… disgusted,” said Grump. “If there’s one thing I despise, it’s cheap sentiment. Hugs. Kiddie television. Cute furry animals.”
He then sends the group packing. Grump must have failed in his plot to destroy Sesame Street, but as President, things might have been different.
‘Using the presidency for petty revenge’
As the clip spread, certain people started to claim that Trump defunded PBS to get revenge for the unflattering impersonation. Some were more serious than others, with a few stretching the theory to say that this is why he wanted to become President in the first place. Many of these posts mistook the 1994 episode for a different Ronald Grump cameo from 1988.
“This episode of Sesame Street back in 1988 is why Trump is targeting PBS and Sesame Street so much!” wrote @Suzierizzo1 alongside her repost of the TikTok video. “The episode was Ronald Grump intends to raze Sesame Street and redevelop it! Does this sound familiar because that’s what he does everywhere!”
In the comments and quote tweets, a good number of users agreed.
“The man is sick. Using the presidency for petty revenge,” said @kamacobb.
“This mf became president to seek revenge on puppets?!” asked @thegreaterbritt. “Hate him.”
On the following day, the clip spread to Bluesky, where its left-wing base pressed the same theories.
“In 1988, Joe Pesci appeared on Sesame Street as Ronald Grump, the real estate developer,” said @crzyfkinworld.bsky.social. “Imagine holding a grudge for 37 years and waiting for your retribution.”
This isn’t the first theory claiming that Trump became president because someone made fun of him. Critics have repeatedly pointed to former President Barack Obama’s roast at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner as the real reason he ran for the office. During his speech, Obama targeted Trump, even imagining what he would be like as Commander in Chief.
“Say what you will about Mr. Trump, he would certainly bring some change to the White House,” said Obama. He then cut to an image of the building converted into a Trump-style hotel and casino.
The history of Ronald Grump
While it’s highly unlikely that one Sesame Street episode is the entire reason for the defunding order, Ronald Grump actually appeared on the show multiple times.
In 1988, the writers imagined a situation wherein Grump conned Oscar the Grouch into converting his home into a Grump Tower.
In 2005, during the height of The Apprentice, he returned in puppet form as Donald Grump. This Oscar-like character bragged about having more trash than anyone and sought a puppet apprentice to help him sort through it all.
Elmo won the contest by doing everything right, but Grump fired him for being too efficient.
After Trump began his political aspirations, PBS retired the Grump character in an effort to avoid any appearance of political bias.
“It’s been over ten years since we featured the Donald Grump character, and we have no plans to bring him back,” said Sesame Workshop spokesperson Lizzie Fishman to the Washington Post in 2017. “As you know, our content has always been politically agnostic.”
So much for that.
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