This is absolutely disgusting.
Federal employees arriving at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters on Monday were met with a strange and unsettling sight: a video played across the building’s television screens showing former President Donald Trump affectionately kissing and caressing the feet of Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. The video ended with the phrase “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING” emblazoned across the screen. This bizarre display raised eyebrows and sparked controversy across the political spectrum. It appears that the video was either created using AI technology or edited in some other manner to manipulate the image, possibly for humorous or provocative purposes.
The unusual video caught the attention of several reporters, including The Washington Post’s Jeff Stein, who tweeted about the incident, describing the situation as a “hack” of the HUD televisions. Another reporter, Rachel Leah Siegel, who covers housing issues, shared images of the screens on her Twitter account, explaining that she had received the photos from multiple sources within HUD’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. In a follow-up tweet, Siegel revealed that the video was playing across the entire building.
A spokesperson for HUD quickly responded, calling the situation “another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources,” and assured that appropriate actions would be taken to address the incident. At the time of writing, it remains unclear whether the video was the work of an outsider hacker, a disgruntled HUD employee, or someone with a strong personal stance against either Trump or Musk.
This event comes at a time when tensions between the federal government and corporate giants like Musk’s companies have been running high, especially in light of recent controversies surrounding workforce layoffs and other management decisions at Musk’s companies. Federal employees, many of whom are frustrated with current political and economic pressures, are no doubt feeling the strain of such peculiar disruptions. With the increasing divide in American politics, this incident is another example of the growing animosity between the different factions of the political landscape.
While the video may have been intended as a joke or an act of protest, it reflects the growing polarization that is present in our public discourse. Whether it was a lighthearted prank or a deliberate attempt to provoke, it underscores the fact that the lines between politics, technology, and personal attacks are becoming increasingly blurred in today’s highly charged environment.
WATCH:
this video of Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet is playing in the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development cafeteria this morning
— Rachel Cohen (@rmc031) February 24, 2025
(per source @HUDgov) pic.twitter.com/hrojPdLDHQ