It was a frigid winter afternoon in Cleveland, Ohio, and the city streets were bustling with their usual noise and activity. The sharp sounds of honking horns, hurried footsteps, and scattered conversations filled the frosty air. Leonard sat slouched against the wall of a rundown convenience store positioned on the corner of Broad Street and 17th Avenue. His layered clothes, meant for warmth, were thin and worn, providing little defense against the biting wind. Next to him lay a simple cardboard sign that read, “Anything helps. God bless.”
At 42, Leonard had been living on the streets for nearly a year. A series of devastating setbacks had upended his life, stripping him of his job, his health, and finally, his home. Each day felt like an uphill battle, and most people who passed by didn’t even acknowledge his presence. Occasionally, someone might toss a few coins his way, but more often than not, they averted their gaze and continued walking as if he were invisible.
Leonard adjusted his tattered beanie, letting his eyes drift downward to the steady stream of shoes moving past him—heels, sneakers, polished loafers. Then something different caught his attention. A pair of spotless white sneakers came to a stop just a few feet away from him. These weren’t ordinary shoes; they exuded a level of luxury that suggested privilege and wealth. Curious, Leonard lifted his gaze to see who they belonged to.
Standing before him was a tall teenager, his posture casual yet composed, dressed in a sleek stylish jacket. The boy had his hands tucked into his pockets as he scrolled on his phone, seemingly unaffected by the surrounding commotion of the busy city. Leonard squinted, feeling a vague sense of familiarity but unable to place the boy’s face. Around them, murmurs began to spread as some onlookers discreetly pulled out their phones to take pictures.
Leonard hesitated briefly, unsure whether to speak up. Normally, he avoided initiating conversations unless someone made eye contact first, but something about this boy’s calm demeanor encouraged him to try. “Hey, young man,” Leonard called out, his voice hoarse from the cold. “Can you spare a dollar?”
The boy froze mid-scroll, tilting his head slightly as if to confirm what he just heard. Slowly, he turned toward Leonard, his expression unreadable but composed. For a brief moment, it felt as though the chaos of the city had quieted. Leonard braced himself for the usual indifference.
“What do you need it for?” the boy asked, his tone steady and free of judgment, catching Leonard off guard.
“A cup of coffee would be nice,” Leonard replied, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to generate some warmth. “Maybe a sandwich if I’m lucky.” His voice wavered slightly under the boy’s direct gaze.
The teenager slipped his phone into his pocket and took a step closer. Leonard suddenly became aware of the crowd’s silent attention; people were watching, their curiosity and quiet judgments hanging heavy in the air. But the boy’s steady presence kept Leonard from retreating.
“What’s your name?” the boy asked.
“Leonard,” he answered hesitantly.
“I’m Barron,” the teenager replied simply, his tone neutral but sincere. There was no trace of arrogance or self-importance in his voice. To Leonard’s surprise, Barron crouched down so that they were at eye level. The gesture startled Leonard; it wasn’t something he was accustomed to. Most people avoided him entirely, let alone brought themselves down to his level.
“How long have you been out here?” Barron asked, his voice calm and measured.
Leonard’s jaw tightened as he shook his head. “Don’t have much left,” he said, his voice bitter. “My parents passed away years ago. My brother… well, we haven’t talked in forever.” He let out a dry, humorless chuckle. “Not much left to lose when you’ve already lost everything.”
Barron seemed to take a moment to process Leonard’s words. Then, without a word, he reached into his pocket. Leonard’s heart began to race. He’d only asked for a dollar, but the boy’s deliberate movements hinted at something more. When Barron’s hand emerged from his pocket, he wasn’t holding the single dollar Leonard had asked for. Instead, he held out a crisp $100 bill.
“This should cover more than coffee,” Barron said, his tone calm and straightforward.
Leonard’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the bill, his hands trembling slightly as he hesitated to take it. “Are you serious?” he asked, his voice cracking with a mix of surprise and confusion.
“Because I can,” Barron replied with a small shrug, his tone casual yet sincere.
Before Leonard could find the words to respond, Barron leaned in closer, his voice lowering as though to ensure only Leonard could hear him. “This isn’t just about the money,” he said
Debunking Story About Barron Trump Helping a Homeless Black Man
A video tells the authentic story of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron, handing a $100 bill to a homeless Black man named Leonard.
A rumor circulating online in December 2024 claimed that Barron Trump — the youngest son of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump — once helped a homeless man by handing him a $100 bill.
Snopes readers asked about this matter. For example, one person emailed us and submitted the topic: “Barron Trump helps a homeless man in Cleveland.”
According to a Google search, the Elite Stories YouTube channel uploaded the earliest version of a video (archived) promoting the rumor. The Dec. 15 post’s title read: “Homeless Man asks Barron Trump ‘Can you give me 1$?’ Trump’s response is SHOCKING.” The video had amassed more than 867,000 views as of this writing.
The narrator of the footage told a story taking place on a cold winter day in Cleveland. According to the rumor, a homeless Black man named Leonard asked Trump for $1. However, in return, Trump handed him a $100 bill. He also allegedly wrote down an address where, he advised Leonard, he could receive assistance in getting back on his feet. The story ended on an inspiring tone.
However, this story was not true. There were no records of any such interaction involving Trump and a homeless man.
In addition, a disclaimer featured in the YouTube video’s description read: “The stories presented on this channel are entirely fictional and crafted solely for entertainment. Any resemblance to real events, individuals or situations is purely coincidental and unintentional. These narratives are not intended to depict, reference or represent any actual occurrences, persons or entities.”
The video featured clues that it was created using one or more artificial intelligence tools to generate the script and audio, as well as the lone image displayed during the entirety of the footage. Speaking of the script, the narrator said the interaction between Trump and Leonard occurred at the corner of Broad Street and 17th Avenue — two streets that don’t exist in Cleveland, according to Google Maps.
A reverse-image search for the Black man in the video’s thumbnail image returned a result for a December 2017 story by the Courier-Journal newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky. The article identified the man as Bryon “Roc” Peeler.
The Courier-Journal newspaper published a 2017 article identifying the Black man in this thumbnail image as Bryon “Roc” Peeler, not “Leonard.”
Further, other YouTube users posting subsequent clips promoting the same rumor posted videos featuring Leonard as a white man.
Snopes has addressed a similar claim made by Elite Stories before. In mid-December 2024, we fact-checked a rumor that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk went into a restaurant disguised as a homeless person to test how much people would judge him based on his appearance.
