On Monday morning, anonymous hackers played a video on screens throughout the Department of Housing and Urban Development HQ in Washington, D.C. The AI-generated video jankily portrayed President Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet, with an overlaid caption reading: “Long live the real king.” It reportedly played on a loop for five minutes before the baffled building staff eventually scrambled to each floor and turned off the TVs manually.

As amusing as it may have been for some to see a high-tech protest depicting a low-status Trump, amusement is all this protest has to offer. Those looking for, or trying to manifest, cracks in the president’s relationship with the world’s richest man still have their work cut out for them. Despite Trump’s historically mercurial affinities, and a distaste for being overshadowed, his alliance with Musk appears a lot sturdier than many predicted.

The AI-generated video that played at HUD is hardly the first public attempt to drive a wedge between the president and the tech oligarch. Media figures such as Rachel Maddow, politicians including Senator Bernie Sanders, and random social media users have all been part of a sprawling concerted effort to turn Trump against “President Musk.” Rolling Stone even reported in December on conversations taking place within the Democratic National Committee about party leaders describing Trump as subservient to Musk, in order to activate Trump’s ego.

It’s easy to see why they might have thought this strategy would succeed. During Trump’s first term, he quickly soured on the people in his orbit. In 2017 alone, 34% of his top aides either resigned, were fired, or transitioned to different positions; a record amount of turnover for a president in his first year. By the end of that term, among the most influential positions within his administration, the rate of turnover reportedly reached 92%.

Beyond past precedent, there were other reasons to believe the relationship would quickly combust. Both men clearly enjoy being the main character of the internet; perhaps the world stage wouldn’t be big enough to contain both egos. On top of that, their apparently tight bond got off to a rocky start. After his political pivot to the right, Musk initially threw his weight behind Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022, since Trump would be “too old” by the end of a second term. Trump, for his part, called Musk a “bullshit artist” around the same time.

Any differences between the two, however, now seem confined to the past. During a joint appearance on Fox News’s Hannity last week, Sean Hannity asked Musk and Trump about the push to break up their partnership. In response, Trump confirmed he’s aware of those efforts, saying: “Elon called me. He said, ‘You know they’re trying to drive us apart.’ I said, ‘Absolutely.’ You know, they said, ‘We have breaking news: Donald Trump has ceded control of the presidency to Elon Musk. President Musk will be attending a Cabinet meeting tonight at 8 o’clock.’ And I say—it’s just so obvious. They’re so bad at it.”

Perhaps it was a calculated move to present a unified front in the face of so much wishful thinking for a falling out. But there are plenty of reasons beyond the Hannity interview to suggest that a divorce won’t be coming any time soon.

© Fast Company