Former Trump Aide Says He Gave Fake Money to Homeless People so They'd Get Arrested When Using It

John McEntee currently works for Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

May 15, 2024
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Andrew Caballero-reynolds / AFP via Getty Images

A former Trump aide found himself in hot water after a video of him admitting he gives fake money to homeless people went viral online.

"So I always keep this fake Hollywood money in my car so when a homeless person asks for money, then I give him like a fake $5 bill, so I feel good about myself, they feel good," John McEntee said in the TikTok.

He continued, "And then, when they go to use it, they get arrested so I'm actually like helping clean up the community. You know, getting them off the street."

According to Newsweek, it’s illegal to intentionally have or hand out false, forged, or counterfeit bills, and those distributing them can be fined and face, at most, 20 years in prison.

The original TikTok video was posted by The Right Stuff, a dating app that targets U.S. conservatives, co-founded by McEntee.

McEntee now works for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and is a senior adviser for the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 Presidential Transition project. He first worked under Trump at the White House in 2018 but was later fired when it was discovered that large deposits he made into his bank account were gambling winnings. He was rehired in 2020 as the director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, overseeing vetting and hiring.

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