In a stunning on-air takedown, CNN found itself utterly annihilated by conservative investigator Nick Shirley during an exchange about massive fraud allegations he has brought to light in Minnesota’s Somali daycare system.

During the interview, reporter Whitney Wild attempted to downplay Shirley’s explosive findings.

Wild argued that federal authorities had already issued over 80 indictments in related cases, suggesting the matter was under control and had been ongoing for years.

“Why did I show up one day in Minnesota, go to all these daycares with no children, receiving millions of dollars? We uncovered nearly $110 million in fraud in one day,” Shirley fired back, destroying her line of inquiry.

The young YouTuber, known for his on-the-ground exposés, pressed the point that his team had visited multiple sites, finding empty facilities billing taxpayers for nonexistent services.

CNN’s response was a laughable “investigation” where they claimed to have reached out to several of the implicated daycares. Only one bothered to respond, and surprise, they insisted they were legitimate.

This half-hearted effort reeks of journalistic malpractice, essentially taking the word of potential fraudsters at face value.

“Are you 100% sure?” the reporter pressed Shirley about the fraud.

“Yeah, I am 100% sure,” Shirley replied.

WATCH:

WOW! CNN got ANNIHILATED by Nick Shirley

“They’ve already done 80 indictments, cases have gone on for years!”

NICK: “Then why did I show up one day in Minnesota, all these daycares, no children, millions of dollars, we uncovered nearly $110M in fraud in ONE DAY?”

CNN:… pic.twitter.com/k35l2bCGBS

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 31, 2025

Naturally, social media erupted in mockery of the network’s so-called “hard-hitting journalism.”

The viral video at the heart of this firestorm was posted by Shirley last week.

In it, he and his team tour Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota, citing state records showing millions in federal reimbursements for child care and nutrition programs. Yet, at site after site, they find locked doors, no signs of children, and in some cases, facilities that appear abandoned or repurposed.

Shirley and his supporters allege this is part of a larger scheme that exploits programs like the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), in which operators bill for phantom meals and services.

His work is also tied directly to the infamous Feeding Our Future scandal. In 2022, federal prosecutors charged dozens in a scheme that siphoned off over $250 million in federal funds meant for feeding hungry kids during the pandemic.

Defendants, the majority of whom were connected to Somali-American nonprofits, allegedly created fake enrollment lists, inflated meal counts, and laundered money through shell companies.