There’s no $20,000 hidden grant program for roof repairs; video of Musk is AI-generated

Elon Musk, the President Donald Trump megadonor and businessman who leads the Department of Government Efficiency, has been scouring federal agencies in what he says is an effort to save taxpayer money.

A Facebook account would have you believe that in doing so, Musk found a hidden program that will send homeowners government cash to fix 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."

The Facebook post shared a video of Musk’s Feb. 28 appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast. In the video, Rogan asks Musk about the "hidden grant program," and Musk says the program was hidden by the previous administration. "This is an actual legit grant approved by Congress in order to fuel the housing market," Musk appears to say.

But there is no hidden government program doling out money for roof repairs, and Musk and Rogan did not speak of one during the podcast.

The post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

(Screenshot from Facebook)

A YouTube video of this podcast episode shows Rogan and Musk wearing the same shirts seen in the Facebook video. YouTube’s transcript of the more than three-hour podcast shows no mention of a hidden roof grant program. The only time the word "roof" was mentioned was when the pair discussed the first assassination attempt of Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally last year, when a gunman fired at Trump from a nearby roof.

Featured Fact-check

Social Media

stated on March 5, 2025 in in social media posts

"Apple quietly removed International Women’s Day from their calendar app.”

In the Facebook video, Rogan’s hands at the start are extended, with his palms facing Musk, then he pulls them back and his right hand adjusts his microphone. We found that moment in the real podcast video on YouTube. Rogan was speaking about government fraud, not a roofing grant program.

The Facebook video is likely generated by artificial intelligence. These types of videos using celebrities or government leaders to advertise something are common on social media. For example, a February Facebook post combined a real video of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt with stock footage and a voice that sounded like Leavitt’s to trick people into signing up for a $4,800 subsidy, described as "extra money" discovered by DOGE. The subsidy did not exist.

Posts promising a government subsidy are commonplace on Facebook, but if they come from a nongovernment account, they are not legitimate. PolitiFact has debunked numerous such claims in recent years. The account that shared the video, Smart Homeowners Tips, is not a government account.

A search of Google and the Nexis news database revealed no roofing grants passed by Congress. A government website about federal home repair assistance programs said, "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."

We rate the claim that Musk exposed a hidden roofing grant program Pants on Fire!