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By Hollie Silverman
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Independent journalist Nick Shirley said during an interview appearance on Fox News' Saturday in America that he has now hired private security after receiving threats that followed his viral video alleging widespread fraud in Minnesota's taxpayer-funded daycare system.
The Context
Late last year, Shirley released a 42-minute video viewed over 100 million times on X alleging that several Minnesota daycares, particularly in Minneapolis, were receiving millions in funding while appearing inactive. The clip was amplified by prominent conservatives like Elon Musk and followed by a federal freeze on certain child‑care payments to Minnesota. More recently, Shirley posted a video alleging misuse of funding in California.
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Minnesota regulators said they had inspected the day care sites within six months before Shirley's video, then launched additional checks, underscoring the attention the claims received.
The Minnesota GOP said it worked with Shirley on his daycare video, while Democratic-Farmer-Labor leaders criticized the approach and urged reliance on law enforcement. The dueling responses highlighted how viral content and party messaging influenced public perceptions ahead of ongoing reviews.
Following the video's release, Minnesota officials faced a wave of escalating allegations.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), under then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, first uncovered welfare fraud in the state in 2022 with the "Feeding Our Future" scheme, which is estimated to have cost taxpayers around $250 million. To date, 57 defendants have been convicted and 78 others charged, according to the Associated Press.
What To Know
During his appearance on Saturday in America, Shirley told host Kayleigh McEnany he faced harassment, doxxing and death threats after posting his Minnesota video. As a result, the Youtuber said he had to hire 24/7 security.
"People have tried to dox my location live," Shirley said. "And a lot of times I go to these cities now, it sucks because I'll go to the city, I'll be out filming, someone takes a photo. Some activists, some leftwing activists will then take a photo, put me in a Reddit group chat. This happened to me in Baltimore. It just happened this last weekend in California. And they say, 'Run Nick Shirley out.' Or they'll say, 'If you see Nick Shirley, it's on site."
Shirley said he had money for security after his Minnesota video, but it dwindled down to "pretty much nothing."
"I had to raise funds again to be able to have security to film these videos," he continued. "I used to be able to film these videos without security. The last video cost $15,000 to go film because I had to have security for three days."
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Who Is Nick Shirley?
Shirley is a conservative YouTuber and social media creator whose late-2025 video alleged that multiple daycare centers receiving public funds in Minnesota were not operating as represented.
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth said the GOP caucus worked with Shirley and whistleblowers “to get the information out to the public,” while DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom called Shirley a “YouTube conspiracy theorist” and criticized Republicans for partnering with him.
Minnesota state Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said sending a YouTuber to demand access at daycares “isn’t an investigation.”
Shirley posted a video earlier this month alleging fraud in California daycare and hospice settings, claiming his team uncovered more than $170 million.
How Many People Were Charges in Fraud Investigation?
The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families said all active locations highlighted in Shirley’s video had been visited by regulators within the prior six months and that officials conducted additional visits after the video circulated.
CBS News reported two centers featured had closed earlier in 2025, while state records showed others had active licenses and recent inspections. The outlet found no recorded evidence of fraud in licensing files it reviewed, though it documented safety and training violations.
Homeland Security agents visited Minnesota sites as part of broader fraud inquiries and noted that childcare was not among 14 Medicaid-funded programs under current federal investigation, CBS News reported. Separately, prosecutors alleged a large COVID-era fraud scheme tied to the nonprofit Feeding Our Future that led to 78 arrests, with investigators estimating $250 million in fraudulent payouts in that scheme alone.
Investigators described the case as the nation’s costliest COVID-era aid scam tied to federal nutrition funds in Minnesota. While often discussed alongside other alleged fraud in the state, this case was distinct from the child care licensing issues reviewed after Shirley’s video, CBS News noted.
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Republican House Speaker said earlier this year during a virtual press conference: “Our caucus has been working to expose fraud for years, including working with Nick Shirley and agency whistleblowers to get the information out to the public and to hold the Walz administration accountable."
Tikki Brown, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner, said, per CBS News in December: “While we have questions about some of the methods used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously.”
Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, a Democrat, said in December: “Republicans are playing sick games and winning devastating prizes. Sending a YouTuber to drive around demanding that he gets to see children isn’t an investigation; it’s creepy."
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said regarding the broader Minnesota fraud landscape that included the Feeding Our Future case, per CBS News in December: “The fraud is not small. It isn’t isolated. The magnitude cannot be overstated.”
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