Key Points
Deepfake video played at Housing and Urban Development building with message "Long live the real king"
Musk has gained significant influence over federal agencies through his DOGE role
HUD spokesperson condemned incident and promised action
Musk recently caused controversy with mass email demanding employee accomplishments
The US daily's report said, "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!"
"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.
The Hill had earlier reported that "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 DOGE-controlled Office of Personnel Management mass emailed 2.3 million federal employees with the directive.
