A deepfake video featuring Donald Trump kissing and rubbing Elon Musk’s feet was displayed on a continuous loop across monitors inside the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters on Monday. The footage, which appeared alongside the phrase “Long Live the Real King,” was reportedly the result of a hack. The slogan mirrored Trump’s recent social media post declaring, “Long live the King,” accompanied by an illustration of himself wearing a crown.
Federal employees arriving at work that morning found the video playing on multiple screens. According to Wired, HUD staff had to manually turn off each monitor to stop the footage. An unnamed employee described the experience as “surreal.”
The timing of the incident coincided with increased scrutiny of Musk’s influence over federal operations. Recently, he issued a directive requiring all federal employees to submit weekly summaries of their work accomplishments, warning that noncompliance would be treated as resignation. Some agency leaders, particularly in national security roles, advised staff to ignore the order due to the sensitivity of their work. Musk has also been linked to government budget cuts and layoffs, with reports indicating that HUD could see its workforce reduced by half. A government spokesperson defended the measures, citing the need to improve efficiency.
Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about how the video managed to infiltrate HUD’s internal system, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in federal digital security. The exact method of the breach remains unknown, and officials are still investigating those responsible. Notably, the hacking incident occurred on the same day Trump’s new return-to-office mandate took effect, requiring thousands of federal employees to return after extended remote work periods.
The event has further underscored growing concerns over cybersecurity within government agencies and the increasing overlap of politics and technology.
