Some employees at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were greeted by an unusual sight in their offices Monday: a fake video of President Donald Trump with his mouth on the toes of his billionaire adviser Elon Musk.
The video was displayed on internal television monitors at the HUD headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to two HUD employees who confirmed the prank to NBC News.
The video appeared to have been created with the help of artificial intelligence and poked fun at the power dynamic between Musk and Trump. It showed an AI likeness of Trump massaging and kissing the feet of someone resembling Musk, with a caption superimposed over the video: “Long live the real king.”
The prank coincided with many federal employees returning to their offices this week, as Trump has sought to roll back the option to work from home. It also follows mass layoffs across the federal government, including at HUD, where some managers have been told to expect a 50% reduction in the number of agency employees.
“Staff have viewed this as a sign of resistance that has brought a lot of joy,” one HUD employee said.
A second HUD employee said: “Everyone is talking and laughing about it.”
The two employees spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly and they said they feared retaliation.
Video and images of the HUD monitors were shared widely on social media, including by some official Democratic accounts.
“Not all heroes wear capes,” said an account on X associated with Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner’s representatives condemned that reaction from House Democrats, writing in a post on X: “There is nothing heroic about abusing taxpayer resources.”
Kasey Lovett, a HUD spokesperson, added in a statement to NBC News: “Appropriate action will be taken for all involved.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Videos similar to the one displayed Monday were circulating on X as long as a week ago. The videos all show Musk with two left feet — the kind of error that’s a hallmark of AI-generated content.
The HUD prank was earlier reported by The Washington Post and by independent journalist Marisa Kabas.
