Fact Check: No, Trump Didn't Help Homeless Vet in NYC Find Housing, Job
Claim:
U.S President-elect Donald Trump once helped a homeless veteran in New York City find housing and a stable job by holding a White House ceremony honoring his acts of service.
Rating:
In November 2024, following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election, a rumor surfaced on social media alleging that Trump had once helped a homeless veteran find housing and a job by publicly acknowledging and platforming him for his service as a Marine.
According to the story, Trump met the veteran, Jack Miller, while walking through the streets of New York City, decided to put him up in a nearby hotel and then held a ceremony at the White House highlighting the veteran's service, bringing him enough attention to find stable employment.
However, the claim was false. There was no evidence available to support the claim.
The false rumor stemmed from videos published on YouTube, including one uploaded by a channel called Mr Wisdom Stories that had over 650,000 views at time of writing. That video used artificial intelligence video-creation tools to create the video's graphics and narration, according to its channel description.
However, despite claiming that the story was "compiled from various sources," the video's AI narrator told the following story without giving any specific information:
On an unspecified cold day in New York City, Trump came across a veteran named Jack Miller, a member of "Bravo Company, Third Battalion." Trump put the veteran up in a hotel room and contacted his former unit mates for a ceremony at the White House, awarding Miller with a medal. Following the ceremony, Miller became a prominent veterans advocate and led a veterans support fund created by Trump.
The video's description read:
The story goes that When Trump encounters a homeless veteran, his unexpected actions shock everyone. This inspiring story highlights the impact of kindness and the power of recognizing the sacrifices made by those who have served. Watch as this surprising and heartfelt moment leaves a lasting impression on everyone involved.
There was no evidence to support any of the story. Snopes found several other YouTube videos telling slightly altered versions of the story, including ones that changed the name of the veteran to Adam Harper, Elijah Kane and David Hayes. Additionally, "Bravo Company, Third Battalion" could refer to several different units — an actual Marine likely would specify both the battalion and the regiment. Finally, there was no record of the ceremony Trump supposedly held for the veteran.
In short, the claim appeared to be made up from whole cloth for the purpose of gaining clicks, or views, online to earn advertising revenue. Such videos with baseless rumors often generate hundreds, or thousands, of comments from YouTube users. Some of those messages indicate that people interpret the videos to be real news.
This was not the first false rumor alleging that Trump helped homeless individuals by giving them hotel rooms or publicity. In December 2016, Snopes fact-checked a claim that Trump had let a homeless woman stay in New York City's Trump Tower rent free for eight years.
Sources:
Evon, Dan. "Black Homeless Woman Says Trump Allowed Her to Live in Trump Tower Rent Free." Snopes, 8 Dec. 2016, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/black-homeless-woman-says-trump-allowed-live-trump-tower-rent-free/.
