The controversy surrounding YouTuber Nick Shirley’s investigation into Minneapolis day care centers has reached a new fever pitch. Following a viral 42-minute video alleging that nearly a dozen facilities misappropriated over $100 million in taxpayer funds, his mother, Brooke Shirley, has stepped into the national spotlight to defend her son and lambast state leadership.
Appearing on Newsmax’s National Report on Tuesday evening, Brooke Shirley delivered a blunt assessment of the situation in Minnesota, comparing the state’s current oversight to a house fire being ignored by those responsible for putting it out.
“Our Lawmakers Have Let the Country Burn”
During her interview, Brooke Shirley expressed deep frustration with the lack of proactive measures from local authorities. She argued that the alleged fraud was obvious and should have been caught by regulators long before an independent YouTuber arrived with a camera.
“If your house is burning down, are you going to try to stop the fire or are you just going to let it burn?” she asked. “Our lawmakers in America have just let our country burn. They’re the ones to blame. They’re the ones who have allowed this to happen.”
She further alleged that the schemes, which Nick Shirley claims are centered within Minneapolis’ Somali-American community, were allowed to flourish due to government negligence. “The Somalians have a perfect scheme… but the bottom line is our government leaders are the ones who allowed it,” she added.
Clashing with Governor Tim Walz
A significant portion of Brooke’s criticism was aimed at Governor Tim Walz. She accused the Governor of deflecting accountability by labeling critics—including her son—with inflammatory terms rather than addressing the substance of the allegations.
“Tim Walz knew this was going on,” Brooke claimed. “Instead of doing anything about it, he calls people who are trying to call it out, like my son Nick Shirley, a white supremacist.”
While Governor Walz has not explicitly named Nick Shirley in such a manner, he recently linked the conservative outrage surrounding the investigation to broader “white supremacist” narratives during a press conference on December 23. This has led to a sharp divide, with Brooke insisting that her son is being vilified for “trying to save our country.”
Impact and Federal Response
Despite the intense backlash and accusations of “ethical misconduct” regarding Nick’s filming methods, the video has triggered significant real-world consequences:
- Federal Freeze: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reportedly frozen federal child care funding for Minnesota following the allegations.
- Massive Investigation: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that ICE and DHS agents have launched a “massive investigation” on the ground in Minneapolis.
- Local Pushback: Several day care directors, including Ahmed Hasin of ABC Learning Center, have denied the claims, stating that the video was filmed outside of operating hours to falsely portray the centers as “empty.”
Brooke Shirley maintains that the local residents of Minnesota are on her son’s side. “The people of Minnesota are thankful for this,” she stated. “We’re the ones out there showing what’s going on because people are too afraid.”