Trump awards $10,000 check to YouTuber Nick Shirley as White House launches $25 million fraud-tip program

President Trump handed Nick Shirley, the YouTuber whose December 2025 video alleged misuse of public funds by Minnesota day-care centers, a $10,000 check in the Oval Office. The presentation coincided with the launch of a $25 million Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP), announced jointly by Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The program, administered by the Justice Department, allows anyone to submit tips at Fraud.gov, with rewards of up to $30,000 for information that results in a fraud conviction.

"I think the incentive will keep a lot of people honest," Trump said during the announcement.

Shirley's 42-minute video claimed that nearly a dozen Minnesota day-care centers were receiving state funding without providing services, prompting visits from state regulators and Homeland Security agents. A CBS News review of state licensing records found that most of the centers cited in the video held active licenses and had been inspected within the previous six months, noting safety violations but no documented fraud as of Dec. 30, 2025. One center featured in the video, Quality Learning Center in Minneapolis, closed in January after receiving $1.9 million from the state's Child Care Assistance Program in fiscal year 2025. A woman appearing in Shirley's video later pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.