A deep fake video of Donald Trump licking Elon Musk's feet played continuously on monitors in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Monday. The AI-generated clip, titled "Long Live the Real King," appeared to mock their relationship, referencing Trump's recent Truth Social post that read "Long live the King".
The source of the video remains unknown. It is unclear whether the display was because of a hack or an internal prank. The footage, which looped for an extended period, quickly went viral, with users debating whether it was a cybersecurity breach or a coordinated stunt.
WOW! This actually just happened!
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 24, 2025
The Monitors were just hacked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to display an AI video of Trump licking Elon Musk's toes.
The caption over it read: “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING.” pic.twitter.com/11JWuH2XfZ
In response, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett told The Hill: "Another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources. Appropriate action will be taken for all involved."
On February 19, Donald Trump celebrated his administration's decision to kill New York City's congestion pricing programme by declaring himself a king in a Truth Social post, writing, "Congestion pricing is dead. Manhattan, and all of New York, is saved. Long live the King." The White House shared this message by sharing an illustration of Trump wearing a crown on a magazine cover resembling Time Magazine but labelled Trump, as per The NY Times.
Donald Trump has long opposed congestion pricing, calling it harmful to New York's economy. His administration formally halted the programme through a letter from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to Governor Kathy Hochul, citing concerns for working-class Americans.
Since the President's inauguration, Elon Musk, now a key Trump ally, has gained significant influence in federal agencies. He was appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, overseeing budget cuts and workforce reductions, which have resulted in thousands of federal employees being laid off.
On Tuesday, federal agencies issued conflicting instructions on responding to an email from Elon Musk, sent under President Trump's administration, requiring employees to submit a five-bullet summary of their work. Some agencies initially told staff to comply but later reversed their guidance, while others provided standardised responses to avoid security concerns. Trump and Musk have pushed for stricter workplace policies, with Musk saying that failure to respond would be considered a resignation. Trump also ordered employees, who have not followed his return-to-office mandate, to be placed on leave.
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