CNN’s Abby Phillip Questions Nick Shirley Going to Minnesota Daycares: Somalis Are ‘Under Attack’

CNN anchor Abby Phillip questioned independent journalist Nick Shirley’s investigation into Minnesota daycare centers on Monday, arguing that the “Somali community is under attack” and “being threatened” over charges of widespread fraud.

Phillip did not seem too impressed with Shirley’s viral report during Monday’s edition of CNN NewsNight. Shirley visited multiple Minneapolis daycare centers and found them to be mostly vacant or inactive — with some staff members shooing him away for asking if they were enrolling kids.

“Go away. You’re not welcome here. Shame on you,” one woman told Shirley.

Phillip said she understood this was all “about politics,” but dismissed Shirley for how he went about his reporting.

“Honestly, you knock on the door of a daycare center and you’re like, ‘Let me in, let me in.’ What do you expect people to do?” Phillip asked.

She continued, “You know, in some of those cases, there were children in there. What do you want people to do in that situation? Open the door and say, ‘Come on in.’ When they know that the Somali community is under attack, is being threatened every single day. What is going on here?”

Panelist Christine Quinn — the vice chair of the New York State Democratic Committee — agreed with Phillip. She said at homeless shelters she is involved with, they would not allow “unauthorized” people to show up and try to enroll their kids in their daycare centers.

Quinn then said a “big part of this” is there is “no need” for President Donald Trump to “say the horrible things he said about the Somali community,” before going on to imply that the president’s recent comments on Somalis could lead to violence.

Quinn also said the president had attacked “the entire community at a time when we’ve learned what happens when we keep turning up the rhetoric, as opposed to turning it down.”

Quinn was referring to Trump’s comments in early December when he said he did not want more Somalis like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) coming to the U.S. and “ripping off” taxpayers.

“They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” the president said. “Some will say that is not ‘politically correct.’” I don’t care. Their country is no good for a reason.”

Trump’s comments were made soon after The New York Times reported some Somalis living in Minnesota orchestrated a fraud scheme that stole “more than $1 billion in taxpayers’ money.”

Since then, Minnesota’s Somali community and Gov. Tim Walz (D) have faced sharp criticism as federal prosecutors claimed the “industrial-scale” scheme stole $9 billion in taxpayer dough.

More than 90 people have been charged for their roles in various schemes. The New York Post reported the “vast majority” were Somalis living in Minnesota.

Shirley’s viral report has racked up 126.7 million views on X since it was posted on December 26. Before Monday, CNN and MS NOW had ignored reporting on the fraud scheme since prosecutors on December 18 said the scope was far larger than previously believed.

Watch above via CNN.

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