Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) deleted a social media post on Tuesday featuring a fake resignation letter supposedly written and signed by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Lee initially celebrated Powell’s alleged departure from the central bank before quickly deleting the post. “Powell’s out!” he wrote.
The senator told Deseret News that he believes the letter is fake but that he is not entirely sure. The letter showed an effective resignation date of July 22, with a government seal that appears to have been generated by artificial intelligence. The document also included several typos.
Calls for Powell’s resignation are increasing as President Donald Trump feuds with the chairman over his cautious approach to lowering interest rates and the Fed’s $2.5 billion renovation. Despite the wave of criticism, Powell has not yet indicated he plans to step down.
Lee’s post was touted by right-wing influencer Benny Johnson, who also deleted his post and apologized for spreading the unverified news.
“The Jerome Powell letter is fake. Please don’t share it. Sorry. Bad look,” Johnson wrote. “I still want Jerome Powell to resign really bad.”
This isn’t the first time Lee has been criticized for sharing fake news and stoking controversy on social media.
Last July, the Utah Republican shared a copy of a fake news release that claimed President Jimmy Carter died at age 99. The release was odd, considering it described Carter’s late wife in a sexual manner. Carter eventually died in December 2024.
More recently, Lee reposted a fake Truth Social post from Trump saying he is “open to reconciling” with Elon Musk after the billionaire’s departure from his temporary role in the White House. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) also fell for the hoax post.
Additionally, Lee received backlash from his Senate colleagues for posting about last month’s Minnesota shootings that claimed the lives of a Minnesota Democrat and her husband and severely wounded another state Democratic lawmaker and his wife.
In one post, Lee wrote, “This is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way.” The post featured an alleged photo of the suspected shooter wearing the mask that police say he used during the shootings. In a separate post, he appeared to link the violence to Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) with the apparent reference, “Nightmare on Waltz Street.”
The controversial posts prompted Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) to confront Lee.
“I told him that I thought it was brutal and cruel,” she told CNN. “He should think about the implications of what he’s saying and doing. It just further fuels this hatred and misinformation.”
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Following his posts on the Minnesota shootings, Lee faced calls for his resignation.
“Mike Lee is sick and depraved for making light of the murder of a Democratic lawmaker,” the Elevate Utah PAC said. “He must resign or the Senate must expel him. It’s that simple.”