Trump giving Nick Shirley $10,000 while launching a $25 million fraud bounty program

Payment and program announced

Trump and Vance said the administration was giving right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley $10,000. They also announced the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, a $25 million pool for public reports of suspected fraud.

A government website identifies hospice, home healthcare, daycares, and special services as areas of particular emphasis. The program’s reporting chatbot asks people to describe what they witnessed and share details such as names, dates, amounts, or records when available.

Different figures for rewards

Fox News and the reporting portal say eligible tipsters can receive up to $30,000 if their information leads to a conviction or significant federal action. Trump gave a different account of the potential reward. The White House had not immediately explained how Shirley’s $10,000 payment was calculated or how the program would be funded.

Shirley’s Minnesota video

In December 2025, Shirley posted a viral video alleging fraud at Minnesota daycares operated by members of the local Somali community. He filmed outside childcare centers and treated refusals to let him enter as evidence that children were not being cared for.

The video prompted federal immigration agents to go to the Minneapolis area, and the administration froze Minnesota’s federal childcare funding. Shirley later visited grocery stores and hospice centers in other states, while administration officials publicly praised him.

Criticism and state visits

Shirley’s approach drew criticism in Minnesota, where broad fraud investigations were already underway before his video. Critics objected that he accused businesses based largely on being denied entry and presented his work as if it began the state’s inquiry. State officials later visited the centers featured in his video and found them operating “as expected.”