Nick Shirley will be Minnesota Congressman's guest at Trump's State of the Union
Government freezes Minnesota day care funding amid fraud investigation
Several Minnesota child care centers have come to the forefront of a massive fraud investigation. Tuesday night, the federal government stepped in, freezing funds to the state.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (FOX 9) - U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican from Minnesota, is bringing YouTuber Nick Shirley and David Hoch to President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address on Tuesday night.
Shirley, a conservative content creator, and Hoch went viral on YouTube in late December 2025 for a video on day care fraud in Minnesota.
What they're saying:
Stauber, who represents Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District, says Shirley and Hoch did Minnesota "a tremendous service" by highlighting fraud.
In the viral video, Shirley made claims that Somali-run day cares were inflating enrollment numbers to get more money from the state. However, some of his claims have been proven false, while others were already under investigation. Fraud has been under investigation in Minnesota for years.
READ MORE: Minnesota GOP worked with YouTuber on child care fraud viral video
"By revealing stunning levels of obvious fraud to the American people, Nick and David did more work and showed more transparency than the Minnesota Department of Human Services. It is deeply concerning that private citizens, and not the Walz Administration, were the ones to reveal the true extent of the problem. Exposing the fraud, however, is only the first step. Minnesotans now want to see full accountability. Until then, faith in these institutions will not be restored," Stauber said in a statement announcing his guests for the State of the Union Address.
He added that Trump and Republicans have "taken great strides" to "eliminate waste, fraud and abuse" over the past year.
"In that spirit, Nick and David embody the citizen-driven oversight that makes these reforms possible. It is an honor to bring them both to the State of the Union as a reminder to every American that the federal government under President Trump is committed to ending the abuse of programs meant to help working families and the most vulnerable," Stauber added.
Nick Shirley's viral video on MN fraud
The backstory:
Shirley's video came amid Trump's ongoing attacks on the Somali community in Minnesota as he turned his immigration enforcement efforts on Minneapolis. What followed was a surge of around 3,000 federal immigration enforcement officials to Minnesota for Operation Metro Surge, which began on Dec. 1, 2025, and led to two fatal shootings by federal officials of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January.
READ MORE:
- Minnesota officials respond to day care fraud viral video: 'No findings of fraud'
- Through the years: A decade of investigating fraud in Minnesota
- FOX 9's coverage of fraud in Minnesota
- Nick Shirley accuses GOP's Demuth of 'clout chasing' after YouTube video goes viral
- YouTuber Nick Shirley returns to Minneapolis day care after viral fraud video
Trump's State of the Union: How to watch
What you can do:
President Trump will give his State of the Union Address to Congress on Tuesday night. It is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
You can watch it live on FOX 9, as well as streaming on FOX9.com, FOX LOCAL, FOX LOCAL Mobile and FOX 9's YouTube channel.
The Source: This story uses information from Rep. Stauber, as well as FOX 9's previous reporting on fraud in Minnesota, Shirley's video and Operation Metro Surge.