Did Barron Trump really give a homeless man $100? Here’s what we found out
Viral video praised his act of kindness, but fact-checkers say the story was entirely made up.
A heartwarming story about Barron Trump giving a homeless man $100 went viral in December, but new evidence confirms it was completely false. The tale, though shared widely, turned out to be fiction created for entertainment.
In mid-December, a video from the YouTube channel Elite Stories gained nearly 1 million views. The video told an emotional story: a homeless man named Leonard asked Barron Trump for $1, and instead, Barron gave him $100 and even wrote down an address where he could find help.
The narrator described the event as happening on a chilly night in Cleveland. Thousands of people in the comments praised Barron for his kindness, saying it showed his good heart despite growing up in the public eye.
But was it true?
The truth behind the tale – fact-checkers respond
Just a few days later, the trusted fact-checking site Snopes looked into the video and confirmed what many had suspected — the story wasn’t real.
First, Snopes found that the two streets mentioned in the video, Broad Street and 17th Avenue, do not even intersect in Cleveland. In fact, they don’t exist together anywhere, according to Google Maps.
Then, the photo of the homeless man used in the video turned out to be from a completely different story. It had originally appeared in a 2017 article from the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. The man pictured wasn’t named Leonard, but Bryon “Roc” Peeler — and he had nothing to do with Barron Trump.
Adding to the doubts, Elite Stories included a disclaimer in the video’s description stating that all the stories on their channel are “entirely fictional and crafted solely for entertainment.” That means the story wasn’t just exaggerated — it was completely made up.
Why the story spread so quickly
Barron Trump has always drawn public interest, partly because of his famous family and partly because he has been kept out of the spotlight. Now 18, Barron is a college student at NYU’s Stern School of Business and is known for keeping a low profile. That air of mystery makes people eager for any glimpse into his life — real or not.
Many people want to believe positive stories, especially ones showing unexpected kindness from the children of powerful figures. But in the age of viral videos and social media, it’s easier than ever for fiction to be mistaken for fact.
What is Barron Trump really like?
While the homeless man story turned out to be false, Barron Trump is still capturing attention for other reasons. Reports suggest he’s adjusting to college life by connecting with classmates through online games like EA Sports FC 25 via Discord. Some students at NYU described him as “chill” and “popular with the ladies,” while others expressed sympathy, saying they wouldn’t want to live under such public scrutiny.
His mother, Melania Trump, remains closely involved in his life. According to People magazine, she is committed to supporting him emotionally and academically, even choosing to stay close by instead of moving back into the White House.
Final thoughts — fact vs. fiction matters
The story about Barron Trump giving $100 to a homeless man might have felt good to believe, but it’s a reminder of how easy it is for misinformation to spread. Even when it seems harmless, it’s important to pause and check the facts.
Whether you like the Trumps or not, spreading fake stories — even feel-good ones — does more harm than good. The truth matters, especially when it involves real people who are trying to live their lives outside the spotlight.
