Josh Liljenquist on WCCO Radio’s Adam and Jordana

WCCO Adam and Jordana transcript

Transcript note: This transcript has been lightly edited for readability by removing non-substantive verbal fillers, correcting punctuation and standardizing names. The meaning and sequence of the original interview have not been changed. Because the supplied text does not reliably identify which host speaks every individual line, host dialogue is labeled jointly as Adam Carter / Jordana Green (WCCO hosts) until the audio is reviewed.

Opening — Does a public good deed still count?

ADAM CARTER / JORDANA GREEN (WCCO HOSTS): You do a good deed and no one knows about it. Does it count more than if you do that same good deed and post it on TikTok?

I don’t think anonymous good deeds have a higher ranking than good deeds posted on social media. But apparently St. Paul city officials seem to think that posting a good deed doesn’t qualify as just a good deed.

We’re talking about Josh Liljenquist. He has millions of followers and is known for giving food and supplies to people experiencing homelessness and letting people warm up in his car. The City of St. Paul has issued a six-month exclusion from city parks.

Josh, thank you for taking time to talk with us today.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Thank you for giving me the chance to say my side of things.

Josh describes his outreach at the encampment

WCCO HOSTS: For listeners who are unfamiliar with your work, explain what you have been doing with people experiencing homelessness in and around the parks.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: It’s not necessarily just homeless people, but I’ll give you a quick rundown.

Usually I pull up to the homeless camp. There’s one specifically that I go to quite a bit. I’ve helped people get into recovery. I provide a safe space. I call my car a sanctuary for people who want to get things off their chest. If they’re going through a tough time, they can talk to me and vent. If they want to warm up in my car during the winter, I let them.

I also want people to have a voice. If somebody wants to tell their story and explain what happened—and show that homelessness is not necessarily a choice—I want to give them the chance to do so.

One example is my friend Isaiah. His mother was in California, his father was in prison, and he was raised by his grandmother. When his grandmother went into a care facility, he had nowhere else to go. That is one of many stories where people are put into a situation and don’t know what to do.

[Commercial break]

The hosts ask whether the videos are exploitative

WCCO HOSTS: The city is claiming you are profiting from vulnerable adults. You have millions of followers and presumably monetize some content. What do you say to people who call this exploitative?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: With TikTok and the money I spend on videos, it’s not even close. I lose money if we’re talking about TikTok views alone. I wish people would research the RPMs, because they would be surprised.

WCCO HOSTS: Educate us on that.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I’m getting around a cent per thousand views, sometimes less.

It should never be about money if you’re doing it for the right reasons. I’m a Christian, and I always say that the stuff I do on camera is my job, but the stuff I do off camera is not my job. I do my fair share of things off camera every day.

I’m involved in trying to get 12 mini homes built on a church campus so people from the encampment can have an address, shower and have stability. There is also a garden planned in the middle. There is a difference between what I do on camera and what I do off camera, and I think people assume I only help when a camera is present. That isn’t true.

First Amendment question and the alleged concert

WCCO HOSTS: The city has banned you from public parks. You have retained a lawyer. Is this a First Amendment issue, and what are you going to do now?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I’m not a First Amendment lawyer, but based on what my lawyer has told me, yes.

The letter also says I was planning a concert and says in parentheses that I refused to give information to the deputy director. I want to read the text exchange and let you come to your own conclusion.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: “Josh, this is Deputy Director David Hovins from the City of St. Paul. You have any involvement or information regarding a proposed concert at Fish Hatchery Encampment?”

I responded: “A concert? No, I don’t even know how that would be possible. I guess I’m confused.”

He said: “Okay, thank you.”

I responded: “I can ask around to see, though. What can I do to help?”

He said: “For awareness, it would be highly problematic and illegal, so we are just following up on the rumor.”

I asked who told him or how he got my number. He said he got my number from the Parks Director, who I had shared it with. I had not shared my number with the Parks Director.

Then I said: “Oh, perfect. Yeah, I’ll ask around to see if anyone knows anything and can try to help to see if it’s a rumor or if it’s a real thing.”

WCCO HOSTS: So you had no plans for a concert or gathering?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: My Christmas present was a trip to Florida from the 7th through the 15th. I’ve been in Florida since the 7th, and I’ll be here until Wednesday.

I’m lost and confused about what is going on. I’ve had to schedule consultations with my primary-care doctor for anxiety because I’m asking myself whether I somehow did something wrong without realizing it.

How Josh’s social media work makes money

WCCO HOSTS: Some listeners are asking whether you make money from these videos. What exactly is the job?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Across all of the social platforms, yes, there is revenue. TikTok alone does not pay me much. YouTube and Facebook can generate revenue from the interactions, but sometimes I spend more depending on what somebody needs.

There was a pregnant woman living at the camp, for example, and I spent significantly more to make sure she was comfortable. She needed a phone in case she went into labor, and that made sense to me.

Recovery and treatment referrals

WCCO HOSTS: Do you connect people with longer-term recovery efforts?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I’ve brought many people to treatment facilities. If somebody tells me they’re ready, I don’t push them or overthink it—we go.

I take that back from how I said it earlier: I’ve probably brought around 100 people in total to treatment, but 11 people stayed and followed through with the process.

A Michigan family and a $600,000 fundraiser

WCCO HOSTS: Now that you are excluded from St. Paul parks, will you continue helping people?

JOSH LILJENQUIST: Absolutely. My work is not only about people experiencing homelessness.

For example, I was in Michigan with a family whose son has Lafora body disease. Their first son had already died from the disease, and their second son was diagnosed shortly afterward. I saw that they were having to shower him in the garage.

I visited the family and raised more than $600,000 in a few days. They were able to buy a new house with a main-floor shower and get a wheelchair-accessible van. That gave the family more time and stability while dealing with serious medical challenges.

Closing — Josh says he still wants answers

WCCO HOSTS: This is an example of how social media can benefit people. It brings us back to our original question: Is it still a good deed if you post it publicly? The fact that you’re helping people is still good in our view.

We hope you’ll come back when you figure out what is happening with the restriction.

JOSH LILJENQUIST: I would like to get some answers because I don’t have any answers. There was not a specific time or date. It was very vague. They didn’t provide specific examples besides the concert date, and I’ve been in Florida since the 7th.

WCCO HOSTS: Thanks, Josh. We appreciate the time.