According to an article last month by PolitiFact, a fact-checking website run by the Poynter Institute that assesses the accuracy of statements made by politicians and public figures, the roofing industry is apparently not immune to the scourge of “fake news.”

There is, in fact, no “hidden $20,000 grant program for roof repairs,” despite a video of Tesla owner Elon Musk that purportedly has been making the rounds on social media, specifically on Facebook.

The video, PolitiFact determined, is AI-generated

Musk, the businessman and megadonor to President Donald Trump, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency, has been checking between the couch cushions of numerous federal agencies in an ostensible effort to save taxpayer money.

One Facebook account, "Smart Homeowner Tips," would have you believe that in doing so, Musk discovered a hidden program that would send homeowners government cash to repair their roofs.

"ELON MUSK EXPOSES HIDDEN $20K ROOF GRANT!" a March 21 Facebook post said. "Congress approved it. The past admin buried it. Now, Elon Musk is bringing it to light! Eligible homeowners can claim up to $20K for roof upgrades — but most don’t even know it exists."

A Facebook post featured a video of Musk’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast from Feb. 28, where Rogan inquires about the "hidden grant program," to which Musk responds that the former administration concealed it. 

Musk apparently claims, "This is a legitimate grant sanctioned by Congress to stimulate the housing market."

However, there is no “hidden government program” doling out money for roof repairs, and Musk and Rogan did not mention it during the podcast.

Politifact says Meta flagged the post as false news and misinformation on its News Feed. 

A YouTube video of the podcast episode shows Rogan and Musk wearing the same shirts seen in the fake Facebook video. 

The fact-finders determined that no hidden roof grant program was mentioned during the three-hour-plus podcast. Politifact says it scoured the entire transcript of the show.

The only time the word "roof" was mentioned was when the pair discussed the first assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Penn., last year, when a gunman fired at him from a nearby roof.

The Facebook clip is just 0:44 seconds long and this screengrab is 0:00
Image credit: Facebook

This screenshot of the actual Feb. 28, 2025 episode was taken at 58:22. The words are different in the Facebook clip, but believe your lyin' eyes. Same hand gesture. Same T-shirt.
Image credit: The Joe Rogan Experience | YouTube

In the Facebook video, Rogan initially extends his hands with palms directed towards Musk, then withdraws them and adjusts his microphone with his right hand. 

PolitiFact located that moment in the actual podcast video on YouTube, where Rogan discussed government fraud rather than a roofing grant program.

The journalists at the Poynter Institute, one of the country’s most regarded journalism schools, determined the Facebook video was likely generated by artificial intelligence. 

For instance, a Facebook post from February used a genuine video of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alongside stock footage and a voice resembling Leavitt’s to mislead viewers into enrolling for a $4,800 subsidy, labeled as "extra money" found by DOGE. The subsidy was fictitious. [The link takes you to the fake video.]

Videos featuring celebrities or government leaders for advertising purposes are prevalent on social media. Similarly, posts promising a “government subsidy” are also commonplace, particularly on Facebook, PolitiFact stated.

Yet, if such posts come from a nongovernment account, as good news hygiene would dictate, they are not legitimate. 

PolitiFact says it has debunked numerous such claims in recent years. The account that shared the video, Smart Homeowners Tips, is not a government account.

PolitiFact’s search on Google and the Nexis news database revealed that Congress had passed no such roofing grants.

A government website about federal home repair assistance noted, "The federal government does not offer ‘free money’ to individuals to repair or improve their homes. Websites and ads claiming to offer ‘free money from the government’ are often scams."

Politifact rates the claim that Musk exposed a hidden roofing grant program “Pants on Fire!”

View the Feb. 28 episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" in its entirety HERE.