Anthony Hudson campaign photo (Source: Anthony Hudson For U.S. Congress on Facebook)

Last Friday, Michigan Republican congressional candidate Anthony Hudson issued an apology for a controversial video posted to his campaign’s TikTok account, which he then retracted later the same day.

The video in question featured AI-generated audio of Martin Luther King Jr. endorsing Hudson’s bid for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, which was posted to TikTok last week.

“Yes, it is me, Martin Luther King,” the audio says. “I came back from the dead to say something as I was saying I have another dream, that Anthony Hudson will be Michigan’s 8th District’s next congressman.”

Hudson later took down the video and made an X post claiming that a friend of one of his volunteers created and posted the video without his knowledge, despite Hudson’s stamp at the end saying, “I am Anthony Hudson and I approve this message.” Hudson also said that he “would have NEVER approved such a STUPID and DISRESPECTFUL video!”

Later that day, Hudson made another post saying he decided to keep the “campaign staffer” and give him a raise, contradicting his earlier claim that the person who posted the video was a friend of a volunteer. Hudson also said that he believes MLK would endorse his campaign if he were alive today.

Hudson is the owner of a trucking company who previously ran for president in 2020. In March, Hudson garnered more controversy when he posted a different TikTok in response to the city of San Francisco appointing Kelly Wong, who is a Chinese immigrant, to the city’s Elections Commission. Hudson falsely labeled Wong an “illegal immigrant” and took issue with Wong’s idea to translate voting ballots for non-English-speaking immigrants, saying that “this is America, and we speak English here.”

Hudson is one of three Republicans on the ballot for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District primary, which will be held on Aug. 6.