Fact Check: Is video claiming Trump ordered clearance of homeless people nationwide real?
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump announced that homeless people must "move out" of Washington, DC, as he vowed to tackle crime in the city earlier this week.
Following this, people on social media shared what appeared to be a video news report on Trump "ordering the complete clearance of homeless people in 50 states". But is there any truth to this viral video? Let's find out below.
Claim: Donald Trump ordered clearance of homeless people nationwide
After Trump's announcement, people on social media shared a video news report on Donald Trump "ordering the complete clearance of homeless people in 50 states."
The report allegedly said that "those willing to leave will receive official assistance", while those who insist on staying will be taken to prison as criminals.
President Trump is ordering a complete clearance of homelessness in all 50 States pic.twitter.com/HlNtMkLyWZ
— Patricia 🇺🇸 (@1109Patricia) August 13, 2025
The video was shared across social media platforms, such as X and TikTok. An X user shared the clip and wrote in the caption, "President Trump is ordering a complete clearance of homelessness in all 50 States."
False: Video is fake with likely AI-generated audio
The video, which was shared across social media, claiming President Trump ordered the complete clearance of homeless people in 50 states, is fake, with likely AI-generated audio.
Moreover, a search for the news report's opening sentence on Google did not return any results that included the report.
Similarly, a different search for "Trump ordered clearance of homeless people in all states" also showed no results.
Meanwhile, the video used real clips for its visuals, but the voice speaking in the video was likely AI-generated, Snopes reported.
Moreover, the fact-checking outlet analyzed different portions of the video with the Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector and found that the audio was most likely AI-generated.
Furthermore, the TikTok account that first posted the video is known for regularly posting fake "breaking news" videos. The videos use real clips as the visuals for the audio of someone speaking with that same awkward style typical in AI-generated voices.
Trump-backed crackdown hits DC’s homeless population
Fear and confusion have spread among Washington, DC's homeless population following Donald Trump’s crackdown on encampments.
Leaders from prominent advocacy groups in the nation’s capital informed CNN that they are bracing for the worst, lobbying city officials to open up more shelter beds, and mulling potential lawsuits.
DC officials are also curious about how to provide enough shelter space and services to accommodate them.
Amber Harding, executive director of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, a nonprofit with hundreds of open cases, said, "There’s definitely a lot of chaos, fear, and confusion. It doesn’t help that the messaging from the federal government has been all over the place. And there’s no communication or coordination with the DC government."
The sweeps started on Wednesday, August 13, after a few days where homeless residents and their allies waited to see who would be targeted, and which federal forces would be involved.
Similarly, another major sweep took place on Thursday, August 14, at an encampment near a highway close to the vaunted Lincoln Memorial and Kennedy Center.
