Trump Awards Nick Shirley $10,000 and Introduces $25 Million Fraud Bounty Initiative
Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced on Tuesday that the Trump administration is awarding right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley $10,000 and initiating a $25 million bounty program encouraging the public to report suspected fraud.
In December 2025, Shirley gained attention with a viral video claiming fraud at daycares in Minnesota run by members of the local Somali community. He spent time in parking lots, attempting to enter childcare centers, and interpreted refusals as proof that these centers were not providing proper care. The video sparked a significant governmental reaction, leading federal immigration agents to flood the Minneapolis area and the Trump administration to freeze federal funding for childcare in Minnesota. Since then, Shirley has traveled to other states under similar pretenses, showing up unannounced at grocery stores and hospice centers in search of fraud evidence. Vance and others in the administration have publicly commended Shirley, who has become a prominent figure in the MAGA-aligned content creator scene. He has played a key role in popularizing a style of so-called independent journalism on the right, where creators confront businesses or individuals they suspect of wrongdoing, often resulting in harassment or immigration enforcement.
The administration also revealed the launch of the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP), a $25 million fund available to anyone who believes they have witnessed fraud. The program particularly targets fraud in hospice care, home healthcare, daycares, and special services, according to a government website. A chatbot designed to collect reports instructs users to “briefly describe what you saw, heard, or read. A few sentences are enough. Include names, dates, amounts, or records if you have them, and how you know. Note any details you’re unsure about.”
Reports indicate that individuals who report fraud could earn up to $30,000 if their tip leads to a conviction or significant federal action. However, Trump contradicted this cap during his remarks on Tuesday. “If you turn somebody in and … you find $1 billion, we are giving a commission to that person of 1 percent,” he stated. (One percent of $1 billion would surpass the $30,000 limit.) “And if it’s $10 billion, $200 billion, $400 billion, we’re giving a 1 percent commission to that person,” he added.
The White House has not yet clarified how the $10,000 payment to Shirley was determined or how the program will be funded. Shirley’s tactics have faced criticism, especially in Minnesota, where extensive fraud investigations were already underway before his arrival. He accused businesses of fabricating childcare services based on minimal evidence, such as being denied entry, and presented his video as if it were the first investigation of fraud in the state. Subsequent visits by state officials to the centers featured in Shirley’s video found them operating “as expected.”
