A viral video posted by right-leaning YouTube creator Nick Shirley, alleging a massive fraud scheme in publicly funded daycare centres, has ignited a fierce debate online and drawn reactions from high-profile figures like US Vice President JD Vance and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The video, which amassed over 127 million views on X and was featured on Fox News, is now facing intense scrutiny from mainstream media outlets.
The Explosive Claims of the Viral Investigation
On December 26, 23-year-old self-described "independent YouTube journalist" Nick Shirley posted a 42-minute video on X and YouTube. In it, he and an associate identified as "David" visited nearly a dozen daycare facilities in Minnesota that receive public funds. The video shows them confronting Somali employees at seemingly empty centres, accusing them of not providing any childcare services despite receiving government money. Shirley claimed to have exposed fraud exceeding $110 million.
The content quickly resonated within Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) circles. Sharing the clip, Vice President JD Vance posted on X, "This dude has done far more useful journalism than any of the winners of the 2024 @pulitzercenter prizes." Elon Musk also weighed in, stating, "Fraud is fraud and it doesn’t matter what race someone is."
Media Pushback and Fact-Checking Efforts
The sensational claims soon prompted investigations from established news organisations. CBS News reporter Jonah Kaplan posted a counter-analysis on the network's X account. Kaplan reported that while the daycares Shirley visited had indeed received citations for safety and cleanliness violations like faulty equipment or staff training issues, there was no evidence found of the large-scale fraud alleged in the viral video.
"We visited those sites too, as did state inspectors many times over the last six months, and we found the facts on the ground tell a different story," Kaplan stated, emphasising the distinction between regulatory violations and criminal fraud. This report faced significant online backlash for not showing its own investigative footage, leading Shirley to retort on X, "Why don’t you go to a daycare yourself, and you will see it first hand."
CNN's Confrontation with the Creator
CNN also launched an inquiry into Shirley's allegations. In a segment for "Anderson Cooper 360," reporter Whitney Wild confronted Shirley outside one of the centres featured in his video, notable for a sign misspelling "Quality Learning Center." Wild challenged Shirley's methodology, asking if he visited during normal operating hours.
Shirley, wearing a sweatshirt mocking the centre's misspelling, defended his approach. He stated he visited around 11 a.m. on one day and later on another, arguing that the locked doors and unanswered phone numbers proved the businesses were not operational. "These aren’t real businesses," he insisted. Wild countered, "But surely you don’t think a day care should just be unlocked? You shouldn’t be able to just walk into a day care."
The incident highlights the growing tension between social media-driven investigations and traditional journalistic fact-checking, set against a politically charged backdrop in the United States.
