A computer-generated video of U.S. President Donald Trump licking tech billionaire Elon Musk’s toes briefly played on video screens at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Monday, as staff returned to work.
The fake footage looped for several minutes across the department’s Washington headquarters, according to independent journalist Marisa Kabas, who shared a video of the incident on social media. She cited an agency source. Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein also stated that the department’s televisions had been hijacked.
The origin of the video remains unclear, and Reuters has been unable to verify its source.
HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett condemned the incident, calling it a “waste of taxpayer dollars and resources,” and assured that “appropriate action will be taken for all involved.”
The disruption comes amid growing tensions over Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” an initiative to reshape the American government. A Reuters/IPSOS poll published Sunday shows 42% of Americans support the effort, while 53% oppose it.
The event has also reignited concerns about the power of artificial intelligence to create “deepfakes” — hyper-realistic, computer-generated videos of public figures in compromising situations — raising alarms about AI’s potential to spread misinformation and sow public confusion.
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