A Minnesota mother abruptly cut short her remarks at a press conference on Wednesday after appearing to struggle to catch her breath. The event was organized in response to the Trump administration’s decision to pause federal child care funding.
Earlier that day, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it was freezing all child care funding after independent journalist and YouTuber Nick Shirley reported that several Minnesota daycare centers appeared empty or inactive despite receiving millions of dollars in taxpayer funds. A department official told ABC News that the money would be released “only when states prove they are being spent legitimately.”
In response, representatives from Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s (D) office, along with local child care operators and parents, convened a press conference.
The second speaker, local parent Deko Nor, introduced herself as a “parent who receives federal funding for childcare for [her] kiddo.”
“If childcare is cut, I am unable to work or go to school,” Nor said. “I understand fraud is bad—”
She then paused, placing her right hand over her mouth and scanning the room before gasping for air. Moving her hand to her chest, she shook her other hand and appeared visibly distressed.
“I can’t breathe,” she seemed to tell organizers standing behind her.
Nor attempted to steady herself briefly, then stepped away from the microphone and exited the stage. Organizers reassured her that it was fine to leave and proceeded with the next speaker. An onlooker could be heard encouraging her as she walked away.
“Not sure what happened there,” Fox News anchor Bret Baier remarked while airing the footage Wednesday afternoon. The clip quickly went viral on X, drawing millions of views the same day.
The incident followed Shirley’s December 26 report, which also gained widespread attention on X. According to the platform’s view counter, it has been seen more than 133 million times and was shared by billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance.
Shirley’s reporting came amid allegations from federal prosecutors of an “industrial-scale” fraud operation in Minnesota that allegedly siphoned off $9 billion in taxpayer funds. The New York Post reported that the scheme involved “dozens of people — the vast majority from Minnesota’s Somali community,” with more than 90 individuals charged so far.
The allegations have intensified criticism of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D).
