Bizarre video stuns government employees
Employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had an unexpected and surreal start to their Monday morning when office televisions were hacked to display an AI-generated video. The footage featured former President Donald Trump in a bizarre scenario—licking the toes of billionaire Elon Musk—accompanied by the flashing text, “Long live the real king.”
Unusual broadcast disrupts workplace
According to a source at HUD who spoke to Wired, the video was playing on a loop on a television screen inside the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building in Washington, D.C. Employees were left with no choice but to manually turn off each TV to halt the unauthorized broadcast.
The origins of the prank remain unclear, but this is not the first time AI-generated videos featuring Trump and Musk in absurd situations have surfaced. Similar deepfake-style clips have circulated on social media since last year, fueling speculation that this may be part of an ongoing trend of satirical political content.
What inspired the strange AI video?
The video appeared to reference a recent Truth Social post by Trump, in which he captioned, “Long live the king!” This phrase was likely the inspiration behind the unusual AI-generated content.
HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett responded to the incident, stating, “Another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources. Appropriate action will be taken for all involved.”
Interestingly, the hack occurred just days after leaked documents revealed Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, which was reportedly considering laying off 4,000 HUD employees. The agency is already struggling with an ongoing housing crisis, making the timing of the prank even more notable.
Internet reacts to viral video
As expected, the bizarre video quickly went viral, prompting a wave of online reactions. Social media users flooded comment sections with humorous and sarcastic remarks.
One user quipped, “Now, THIS is a proper use of AI.” Another joked, “Oh, that isn’t AI—it’s 100% real. We’ve all seen it.” Others expressed their shock, with one person lamenting, “What a terrible day to have eyes,” while another sarcastically noted, “Good to see the resistance has the kind of skill that matters these days.”
Some speculated on Trump’s reaction to the video, with comments like, “I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when Trump saw this for the first time. You know he’s fuming about it.” Others praised the pranksters, with one user stating, “Some heroes don’t wear capes.”
Whether the stunt was meant as a political statement or just an elaborate joke remains unclear. However, one thing is certain—the internet won’t be forgetting this moment anytime soon.
