Washington DC - An AI-generated video of President Donald Trump sucking Elon Musk's feet was shown inside the headquarters of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, prompting an investigation, a spokesperson said.

The video was "briefly" played on screens at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Monday, multiple reports said.

It mocked Trump's close relationship with Musk, the far-right billionaire who has been put in charge of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and tasked with dismantling huge swathes of the administrative state.

An inscription that read "Long Live the Real King" was superimposed over the video, referencing a message Trump posted on his Truth Social platform to celebrate his government's nixing of the New York City congestion pricing plan.

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X user PaulleyTicks claimed he was the creator of the original video.

A HUD spokesperson said on social media that the stunt was "abusing taxpayer resources" and that the department was planning to investigate and fire those responsible.

The looping footage appears to have been produced using artificial intelligence.

It came on the same day as Musk's deadline for federal workers to explain their work achievements in an email.

The deadline passed with much confusion among an already anxious workforce after several US federal agencies – including some led by prominent Trump loyalists – told staff to ignore the email, at least temporarily.

Musk told US federal workers they had "another chance" to justify their work or lose their jobs in a post on his social media platform X on Monday.

In response to the video, the Democrat House Committee on Financial Services said in a post on X: "Not all heroes wear capes."