- An AI-generated video of Trump and Musk was shown on TVs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- The video appeared as some HUD employees returned to the office, sparking widespread discussion.
- Federal workers are facing scrutiny amid large-scale terminations and productivity monitoring efforts.
When some employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development came into work on Monday morning, they were greeted with an unexpected sight: office TVs showing what appeared to be an AI-generated video of President Donald Trump sucking the toes of Elon Musk underneath a text that read, "LONG LIVE THE REAL KING."
It's unclear how widely the video was distributed or how long it was displayed. One HUD employee said that by the time they arrived at the building, just before 9 a.m., the video was no longer showing.
"Another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources. Appropriate action will be taken for all involved," HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett said in a statement to Business Insider.
The White House and Musk did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Two recordings seen by BI seem to show different monitors in the building displaying the video. AFGE union officials also said that they had verified the video was shown at HUD.
According to one HUD worker, the video was all the buzz among staffers this morning, with coworkers passing along their own accounts of the monitors. That worker said that they hadn't received any official communications on the monitors or video. Footage also quickly made its way to reporters, with several posting the video on X and Bluesky.
Monday was the first day that bargaining unit employees at HUD were to return to the office.
One former HUD worker, who was recently terminated as part of probationary worker cuts, said the video was "funny as hell."
"I have been in shock since seeing it," they said. "And immediately shared it with anyone I could."
The video comes as workers across the federal government contend with large-scale terminations of probationary employees. The Associated Press has reported that HUD could see sweeping cuts, with half of the workforce reportedly set to be slashed.
Over the weekend, the Office of Personnel Management emailed federal workers under the subject line "What did you do last week?" The email asked workers to submit five bullet points on what they had accomplished the past week. Some federal agencies directed their workers not to respond to the email, while at least one — the Social Security Administration — told workers to reply and treat it as an opportunity to highlight their work.
Fo now, according to another HUD worker, the monitors have been turned off, and people have moved on.
"Everyone was talking about it this morning," the worker said, "and then it's back to business on housing policy."
Are you a federal worker with a story or tip to share? Contact this reporter on Signal at julianakaplan.33, or via email at [email protected].
