Nick Shirley Lashes Out At MSM

A 23-year-old conservative YouTuber, Nick Shirley, lashed out at mainstream media on Wednesday, calling them the "enemy of the people" amid growing skepticism over his viral video alleging widespread fraud in Minnesota's government-funded child care programs.

In a post on X, Shirley wrote: "Mainstream media is more mad at me then [sic] they are at the FACT that billions of YOUR dollars are being used for fraudulent business." He added, "I am not an enemy of the people, they are. I’m with you, they are against you. Remember that."

Shirley's 42-minute video, posted the day after Christmas, has amassed over 100 million views across platforms. It shows him visiting several Minneapolis day care centers—many Somali-owned—that he claims appeared empty or abandoned despite receiving millions in taxpayer funds through the state's Child Care Assistance Program. Shirley alleged uncovering more than $110 million in potential fraud in a single day, tying it to broader claims of billions lost in state programs.

The video drew swift praise from conservative figures, including Vice President JD Vance and FBI Director Kash Patel, and prompted federal actions like a freeze on Minnesota child care payments by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Major outlets like CBS News, NPR, CNN, and local Minnesota media have approached the claims cautiously. 

Shirley, a self-described independent journalist with a history of politically charged content, has defended his work as exposing corruption overlooked by traditional media, while accusing outlets of focusing more on discrediting him than investigating the allegations.