Associated Incidents
A video produced using artificial intelligence (AI) showing President Trump rubbing and kissing Elon Musk's feet played on television screens in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) building Monday in an apparent mocking of the relationship between the two men.
The words "Long live the real king" were displayed over the top of the computer-generated video, a reference to Trump's Truth Social post last week in which he wrote, "Long Live the King!"
The Hill obtained a photo of the screens in the HUD building as the video was playing.
"Another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources. Appropriate action will be taken for all involved," HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett said in a statement to The Hill.
Musk, the Tesla CEO and owner of the social platform X, has become one of Trump's strongest allies and has amassed a tremendous amount of power over federal agencies, including the firing of thousands of government employees. He was tapped to run the Department of Government Efficiency, an agency advising the administration on cuts to spending and staffing.
Musk stirred controversy and widespread confusion over the weekend when he posted on X that government employees should respond to a mass email listing five things they accomplished in the past week, saying a failure to reply would be considered a resignation. Multiple agencies told their employees not to respond.
The relationship between Trump and Musk has become a point of contention as Musk's power has grown, however, with Democrats and critics seeking to get under Trump's skin by suggesting Musk is the one running the show.
The two men in a joint interview earlier this month argued there was a concerted effort by the media to drive them apart.