US President Donald Trump (L) and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk watch a fight during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York, on November 16, 2024. Kena Betancur, AFP/File

WASHINGTON -- An AI-generated video of US President Donald Trump sucking Elon Musk's feet was shown inside the headquarters of a US government department, 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, the New York Times reported.

It criticized Trump's close relationship with Musk, the world's richest person, who has been put in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and tasked with cutting federal staffing and spending.

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.

READ: Musk says all US govt staff must justify their work or lose jobs

READ: Musk gives US federal workers 'another chance'

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."

© Agence France-Presse

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