During a motorcade ride through Washington D.C. last Sunday, then-President Donald Trump reportedly took issue with a homeless encampment he observed.
“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” he posted that morning on Truth Social, accompanied by four photographs of the encampment.
One photo featured a man sitting in a camping chair beside his tent, later identified as Bill Theodie. Four days later, Mr. Theodie was displaced following the president’s announcement of a crackdown on homelessness in the nation’s capital.
“That’s me,” Mr. Theodie stated upon viewing the photo Trump had posted, marking his first encounter with it.
“That is insane that he just leaned out the window and takes a picture of me and then posts it on social media in a negative way, using it as his political tool.”
On Monday, Trump declared his administration’s intention to “removing homeless encampments from all over our parks, our beautiful, beautiful parks”.
“We have slums here, we’re getting rid of them,” he stated from the White House press room podium.
Following the announcement, BBC Verify undertook an investigation of the photos shared by the president.
Visual cues within the images, including a bend in the road adjacent to the grassy area where the tents were located, were matched with a location on Google Street View.
The encampment, situated approximately 10 minutes by car from the White House and a shorter distance from the BBC office in Washington, became the focal point of an on-site assessment to determine the situation following the president’s remarks.
Upon arrival, local officials were present, informing individuals of potential forced relocation.
Mr. Theodie, a 66-year-old Missouri native, was also found at the scene, seated in his camping chair.
He confirmed prior sightings of Trump’s motorcade passing by.
“The president’s motorcade is pretty long,” Mr. Theodie noted. “I’ve seen it coming through here three times.”
“You know, I understand he doesn’t want to see mess, that’s why we go out of our way to maintain it clean. We’re not trying to disrespect the president or any other person who comes by.”
He recounted living at the location for several years, working in construction, but facing underemployment since 2018 with only a few shifts per month.
On Thursday, Mr. Theodie and other residents were instructed to vacate the premises immediately.
A local reporter documented the scene as a bulldozer dismantled tents and other personal items left behind.
“They said you need to pack it up or they are going to bulldoze it. They didn’t come for talking, it was go, go, go,” Mr. Theodie stated.
Wayne Turnage, the deputy mayor of the D.C. Department of Health and Human Services, affirmed the city’s prior removal of encampments across the capital.
He noted that while standard procedure involves at least a week’s notice, the process was expedited following Trump’s announcement.
Local authorities identified the homeless encampment as the city’s largest, housing 11 individuals along a main route out of Washington D.C.
Prior to the recent crackdown, 97 individuals resided in homeless encampments in the city this year, a notable decrease from 294 in 2023, according to available data.
The estimated number of people experiencing homelessness is 5,138 this year, down from 5,613 in 2024, according to the city’s yearly snapshot.
The latest data from the Community Partnership, an organisation that works to reduce homelessness, shows about 800 people are unsheltered, while about 4,300 others have some sort of temporary housing.
The White House has stated its intention to offer placements in homeless shelters and access to addiction or mental health services for those sleeping on the streets. However, refusal of such assistance may result in fines or imprisonment.
“You can’t just snatch people up and threaten them with arrest or force people to go to a shelter,” said Mr Theodie. “I don’t want to go to a shelter – they’re bad places.”
Organizations working with homeless individuals have voiced concerns regarding the system’s shortcomings, including limited shelter capacity.
Since leaving the encampment, Mr. Theodie has spent three nights in a motel in Virginia, funded by a donation from an individual who witnessed the removal.
“If I wasn’t blessed by that person, I don’t know what I would have done. I probably would’ve sat down on the kerb all day,” he said.
“This room is jammed packed full of stuff, my tent and my belongings… but it’s so good to sleep in a bed, to take a shower, to use a private bathroom, it feels absolutely amazing.”
Mr. Theodie plans to seek a new location upon checking out of the motel: “My best option is to try to find a safe place to set my tent up. I don’t know where that’s going to be, but I would like to stay in DC.”
George Morgan, a 65-year-old Washington D.C. resident, was also present at the encampment. He reported having lived there for two months after being forced to leave an apartment he could no longer afford.
When contacted after the encampment’s removal, he was found in a motel reception area with his dog, Blue, having received a night’s stay courtesy of another individual.
“We’re sitting here to see if we’re able to get another night. I had to pay $15 dog fee – which was the last money I had.”
In a subsequent conversation, Mr. Morgan confirmed an extension of his motel stay through the weekend but expressed uncertainty regarding the following week.
“I have to play it by ear as I have no money. God has always come through, so I’ll see what God sets up next.”
What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?
The “extremely powerful” storm is downgraded in intensity but could still bring life-threatening effects.
British PM Sir Keir Starmer will be among those joining the Ukrainian leader on the US trip.
Ronnie Rondell Jr’s decades-long career saw him appear in films and TV including Baywatch, Spartacus and The Matrix Reloaded.
The US president will meet his Ukrainian counterpart in Washington on Monday in the wake of his Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will join the PM in hosting the “coalition of the willing”.