Long live the real king: is the video of Donald Trump Elon Musk's feet real?

Online reaction and political undertones

The video quickly excited online and pulled both entertainment and criticism. A user on X (formerly Twitter), @usmcliberal, joked: “Pam Bondi will probably start an investigation about who has offended Trump.” Another joked that Musk could appear with a chainsaw to destroy the screens, and refer to his previous stunt at CPAC, in which he performed a chainsaw while talking about the inefficiency of the government.

Trump's relationship with Musk was examined intensively. Since the beginning of his second term on January 20, Trump has had a close connection with the billionaire, which led to the trendy day “#president musk”. On February 18, however, the White House clarified that Musk is not an official employee of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), a newly created department commissioned to reduce the federal job.

Musks controversial guidelines at work

The video was published only a few days after Musk published a guideline in which all federal employees were able to submit a summary of their work per week. “Approx. 5 bullets from what they achieved last week, ”said the order and warned that non -compliance with the withdrawal would be considered equivalent. Some agency heads, especially those who deal with national security issues, indicated that the employees indicated the guideline due to the sensitive nature of their work.

Musk's growing influence on the decision -making of the federal government has expressed concerns. He was reportedly involved in reducing government engineering and leading aggressive layoffs. At HUD, reports indicate that up to half of the workforce could be at risk. The administration has defended the cuts, explaining a spokesman that they are necessary to reduce inefficiencies.

Answer from Hud and administrative officials

Scott Turner, Trump's newly confirmed HUD secretary, replied to the Hacking incident by relocating the focus on the political goals of the department. In a statement on Monday evening, a HUD spokesman said: “The television in the agency now show the victories of the Trump administration, including measures to reduce costs and to expand the range of affordable living space.” The statement has continued: “We expect the media to cover these historical achievements with the same level of detail and immediate level as other frivolous stories.”

Not all officials were so dismantled. Kasey Lovett, the press spokesman for HUD, described the incident “a further waste of taxpayers' dollars and resources” and assured that “appropriate measures are taken for everyone involved”.

Cyber ​​security problems and the larger picture

Cybersecurity experts have expressed the alarm about how the video appeared in HUD's internal monitors and raised questions about the digital security of the federal government. The method of violation remains unclear and the officials still have to determine who was responsible. Some reports indicate that the hacking took place on the same day at which Trump's new return to Office came into force and has brought thousands of federal employees back to their desks after long periods.

In the meantime, Musks Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) has claimed in the past few weeks that the HUD funds, which were allegedly “relocated” by the bidden administration, had received $ 1.9 billion. According to reports, the department has also canceled at least 4 million US dollars of DEI contracts for diversity, equity and inclusion (Dei). However, some of Doge's financial reports contain mistakes that complement the controversy with their actions.