Independent journalist Nick Shirley humiliated the mainstream media last week by doing something that the media hasn’t done much of lately: investigative journalism. He visited the sites of suspected fraudulent day care centers in Minneapolis, showing they weren’t operating despite receiving more than $100 million in state aid.
So CNN decided to one-up Shirley by doing their own “investigative journalism.”
Correspondent Whitney Wilde tried calling the daycare centers to ask whether they were fraudulent.
I know. Amazing, right?
Spoiler alert: they said yes. So obviously, that mystery is solved.
Wilde explained in a voiceover in the segment that she “reached out to several of the day cares featured in the now viral video.”
Only one was open, but boy, she really did her due diligence.
“Only one day care facility answered and said they are a legitimate business,” she said.
Case closed, apparently. I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m not.
In a phone call that would make journalism professors weep, Wilde asked the daycare representative, “Have you seen the, the videos, you know, purporting that some of these day cares don’t have kids inside?”
This is what counts as investigative journalism at CNN: calling up an accused fraudulent daycare and just asking them if they’re fraudulent. Give this woman a Pulitzer Prize!
Related: Nick Shirley Fights Back Against MSM Hacks Trying to Discredit Him
The real kicker came when Wilde confronted Shirley at one of the facilities. As children walked into the building, she challenged him directly. “You’re saying that this is a fraudulent day care. There’s kids being dropped off right now,” she said, as if the mere presence of children after his video went viral automatically proved the business is legitimate instead of just trying to provide cover when they’re under the microscope.
Shirley didn’t back down. “Yes. The Commissioner of Children literally said a week ago, this place was closed. They’re showing face right now,” he told her, suggesting the sudden appearance of children might be more performance than proof. “They’re showing face right now,” he pointed out.
You have to watch the segment to believe it.
CNN disputes that there’s fraud in Minnesota Somali daycares because they called a bunch of daycares, one answered so they asked if they’re committing fraud, and the daycare responded that they’re not
I’m not kidding pic.twitter.com/UXQ5U3axDd
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 31, 2025
Social media users promptly mocked CNN for the absurd attempt at investigative journalism.
CNN is propaganda trash.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 1, 2026
😂 INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, FOLKS.
“Hello, are you committing fraud?”
“No.”
“Case closed.”By that logic, all crime is solved with a phone call. Unreal.
— American Citizen 🇺🇸 (@realtalkstruth) December 31, 2025
Called one daycare, asked if they were bad guys. They said no. *Investigation complete.*
— Doran (@doranmaul) January 1, 2026
Okay Then 😬 pic.twitter.com/efT7kuq2kR
— Marlon East Of The Pecos (@Darksideleader2) January 1, 2026
The segment perfectly captures the legacy media’s approach to stories that don’t fit their preferred narrative. Imagine calling up a daycare suspected of being fraudulent, asking a few questions on the phone, and calling that investigative journalism. This is what the legacy media is now. They aren’t searching for the facts; they’re protecting narratives. Plain and simple.
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