Independent journalist Nick Shirley, who stoked row with a viral video exposing alleged daycare fraud in Minnesota, has sent a message to President Donald Trump.
During his appearance on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show, Shirley said: “There better be change because, like I said, we work way too hard to be paying taxes. We work way too hard to be not knowing where our money is going.”
“If President Trump’s watching this, it’s time to really get down to nitty-gritty and to make a difference in this place of Minnesota that is pretty much like Somaliland right now,” he added.
Shirley’s 42-minute video has become a sensation on X, accumulating over 100 million views since its release on Friday. One daycare center that Shirley visited allegedly got millions in state funding. However, Shirley claimed in the clip that the center seems to be inactive.
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Nick Shirley’s video causes uproar, garners flak for Tim Walz
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is pursuing a third term, has encountered considerable criticism, especially from Trump and Republican figures, regarding the fraud that transpired during his tenure.
Meanwhile, a representative for Walz told Fox News that the governor has dedicated years to combating fraud and enhancing oversight of state programs, which includes initiating investigations into these facilities.
Citing prosecutors, Newsweek reported alleged fraudulent schemes targeting Minnesota-managed programs may cause losses of billions of dollars.
The situation has become politically and culturally heated, as a majority, but not all, of the defendants currently charged are Somali Americans.
Trump has capitalized on this to target the Somali community in Minnesota, which boasts the largest Somali population in the nation, and has consistently claimed that the state serves as a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” under Walz’s administration. However, Somali Americans have cautioned against generalizing the entire community based on the actions of a few.
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Fraud at Minnesota daycare centers are ‘obvious’, says Nick Shirley
During the interview, Shirley remarked that fraudulent activities at daycare centers and other establishments in Minnesota are “obvious”.
“If you’re living in Minnesota, you have to raise your eyebrows and think, what’s going on. Literally, if you drive around Minnesota, around Minneapolis, you will see daycare centers, autism centers, you will then see transportation companies that have snow piled up as if they haven’t moved in months,” the independent journalist said.
“A kindergartener could figure out that there’s fraud going on,” he added.
Kash Patel gives update
Meawhile, FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned that the FBI has sent personnel and resources to Minnesota “to dismantle extensive fraud schemes that exploit federal programs.”
Patel acknowledged that he was aware of recent social media discussions in Minnesota, seemingly referring to Shirley’s video, but emphasized that the bureau had “surged” personnel and resources into the state “even prior to the public discourse intensifying online.”