Vice President JD Vance took to X to praise YouTuber and influencer Nick Shirley, who had been credited for exposing fraud in Minnesota. This comes after Shirley criticized mainstream media for “investigating” him instead of the fraud he exposed.
“Remember when instead of investigating the fraud the mainstream media decided to investigate the person who exposed the fraud? Why? Because they were complicit in the cover up I was right, they were wrong I work for you, they work against you,” Shirley wrote on X.
Vance thanked Shirley by reposting with his comments which said: “Our administration owes a debt of gratitude to Nick Shirley for exposing one of the most egregious cases of fraud this country has ever seen. If the media was worth their salt, they would take notes from Nick and other citizen journalists who care about investigating stories that affect the American people instead of trying to silence them.”
READ: ‘Where are the children?’: Independent Journalist Nick Shirley alleges ‘billion dollar’ fraud in California (March 19, 2026)
Last year, Shirley had shared videos prompting scrutiny around fraud and government oversight in public assistance programs. He sought accountability from public representatives and leaders.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ended his re-election campaign for a third term in 2026 earlier this year amid heightened attention on fraud investigations in the state. Walz, who won a second term by eight percentage points in 2022 and was widely viewed as the frontrunner, announced his decision to leave the race.
Shirley alleged that corruption is widespread in Minnesota, pointing specifically to a Somali-run daycare fraud case. He called on elected officials and state leaders to be held accountable.
Shirley runs a self-titled YouTube channel with nearly two million subscribers where he documents field visits, interviews, and confrontations related to his reporting. He has covered subjects like childcare fraud allegations, homelessness, immigration, and public spending. His style typically involves direct questioning and real-time documentation, which he also shares across other social platforms like X. In addition to positive reactions, his content also drew backlash with some accusing him of exaggerating and questioning his claims.
READ: YouTuber Nick Shirley earns praise from JD Vance during anti-fraud briefing (May 15, 2026)
Vance had also praised Shirley previously during an anti-fraud briefing. Vance renewed his focus on combating fraud after President Donald Trump appointed him to lead a federal fraud task force. Trump also dubbed Vance the nation’s “fraud czar” and tasked him with investigating fraud, particularly in Democratic-led states.
“His focus will be ‘EVERYWHERE,’ but primarily in those Blue States,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, singling out California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine and New York.
Shirley also saw renewed attention after the Assembly Bill 2624 (AB 2624) was passed in the California Assembly in May. The bill, formally titled “Privacy for immigration support services providers,” seeks to extend California’s existing Safe at Home confidentiality protections to immigration support service providers, employees and volunteers who face threats, harassment or violence because of their work. It was criticized by Shirley and other conservatives — who dubbed it as the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” — saying it would make it harder to expose wrongdoing involving organizations serving immigrant communities.