An artificial intelligence-generated video featuring President Donald Trump kissing Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s feet was displayed on television screens at the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Federal employees were reportedly forced to turn off each television manually to stop the outrageous video from playing after the government’s televisions were hacked.
Wired reported that employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s headquarters in the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building discovered the video mocking Trump and Musk on Monday morning, alongside the message, “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING.” An anonymous employee told the outlet that employees had to manually turn off each of the agency’s television screens to stop the video from continuing to play.
The artificial intelligence-generated video was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Vox journalist Rachel Cohen. “This video of Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet is playing in the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development cafeteria this morning,” Cohen tweeted.
The video of Trump kissing Musk’s feet and the video’s accompanying caption comes after Trump recently released a statement on Truth Social following his administration’s decision to end New York’s congestion toll pricing. Last week, Trump wrote, “Congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan, and all of New York, is saved. Long Live The King!”
According to The Post Millennial, The Washington Post initially reported that the disturbing video featured at the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s headquarters was “possibly” generated by artificial intelligence; however, the outlet later deleted “possibly” from its report. The archived page from The Washington Post, which is no longer active, shows the outlet describing the content of the video as “possibly AI-generated” instead of emphasizing that the video was fake.
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In a statement obtained by Forbes, Kasey Lovett, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, claimed that the artificial intelligence-generated video was “another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources.” Lovett also emphasized that “appropriate action” would be taken following Monday’s incident.
Monday’s incident at the Department of Housing and Urban Development comes as Democrats continue to protest against the Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate waste and reduce the size of the federal government.
Responding to the video mocking Trump and Musk on Monday, Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee tweeted, “Not all heroes wear capes.”
