Former Trump aide John McEntee is facing sharp condemnation after claiming he gives fake money to unhoused people to help "clean up the community." McEntee said he does this so that unhoused people will be arrested when they try to spend the fake currency.
A viral TikTok video shared by The Right Stuff, a dating app for U.S. conservatives that McEntee co-founded, shows McEntee—a senior adviser for the Heritage Foundation's 2025 Presidential Transition Project—bragging about his "joke."
He said:
"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."
"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."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
@daterightstuff Just a joke. Everyone calm down #fyp
The video also went viral on X, formerly Twitter, after it was shared by the Republican Accountability Project, which called McEntee's action "disgusting and illegal."
You can see the post below.
Indeed, McEntee's video could potentially run afoul of federal law.
Should his actions be proven true, they could potentially run afoul of 18 US Code section 480, which prohibits knowingly possessing or delivering counterfeit financial instruments within the United States. This offense carries penalties of fines or imprisonment of up to 20 years, or both.
Many condemned McEntee's actions.
McEntee was terminated from his initial position at the Trump White House in March 2018. This occurred after a background check uncovered large sums of money deposited into his bank account, which were later revealed to be gambling winnings, as reported by The Atlantic.
However, he made a comeback in 2020, assuming the role of director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office. In this capacity, he was tasked with vetting and hiring personnel.
It's been reported that McEntee is heavily engaged in planning for a prospective second term under the Trump administration, known as Project 2025. This project is geared towards implementing substantial reforms and carrying out purges of government officials perceived as disloyal.
