Trump Announces Fraud-Reporting Rewards and Payment to YouTuber
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the administration would pay YouTuber Nick Shirley $10,000 and establish a $25 million program offering rewards for reports of suspected fraud. The announcement follows Shirley’s December 2025 video alleging fraud at Minnesota childcare centers operated by members of the local Somali community. The video attracted widespread attention and prompted a federal response, including immigration enforcement in the Minneapolis area and a freeze on federal childcare funding for Minnesota.
Shirley filmed outside centers and treated refusals to let him enter as evidence that children were not being cared for. State officials later visited centers featured in his video and found them operating “as expected.” Fraud investigations in Minnesota were already underway before Shirley published his video. He has since visited businesses in other states seeking evidence of fraud, while members of the administration have praised his work.
The administration’s Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, or WHIP, invites the public to submit suspected fraud, with particular attention to hospice care, home healthcare, childcare and special services. Its reporting portal asks people to describe what they saw, heard or read and to provide supporting details when available. Fox News and the portal say eligible tipsters may receive up to $30,000 if their reports lead to a conviction or significant federal action.
Speaking Tuesday, however, Trump described a different reward: a commission of 1 percent on money uncovered through a tip. That could exceed the stated $30,000 maximum. The White House did not immediately explain how Shirley’s $10,000 payment was determined or how the $25 million program would be funded. The differing descriptions leave the program’s payment terms unclear.
The announcement places Shirley’s videos alongside a public reporting initiative, though officials have not said whether his payment followed the same criteria for other tipsters.