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

Influencer Nick Shirley listens as US President Donald Trump makes an announcement on fraud in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 20, 2026. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the Trump administration was giving right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley $10,000 and launching a $25 million bounty program for members of the public to report fraud.

In December 2025, Shirley published a viral video alleging fraud at daycares in Minnesota that were operated by members of the local Somali community. Shirley lingered in parking lots and asked to enter childcare centers, taking refusals as evidence that the centers weren't actually caring for children. The video quickly went viral, triggering a massive governmental response: Federal immigration agents descended on the …

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