Fact Check: Did Nick Shirley claim that Malia Obama received a USAID grant?
WASHINGTON, DC: A claim has been circulating on social media platforms that citizen journalist Nick Shirley has found that Malia Obama, the daughter of former President Barack Obama, has received a USAID grant, indicating a misuse of taxpayers' money, sparking speculation. Let us analyze the origins of the claim and fact-check it.
Claim: Nick Shirley found that Malia Obama received a USAID grant
The claim surfaced as a Facebook post that alleged that Nick Shirley’s investigations led him down the road of a 10-year-old grant from USAID to Malia Obama, which the fact checkers have denied as misinformation.
"The only misinformation was the system and the media trying to cover for her," Shirley allegedly said on his podcast, "Public records from FOIA don't lie."
The post further claims that Shirley has plans to present his evidence to both the FBI and his congressman, Jim Jordan.
The claim has been shared on other social media platforms such as X, garnering hundreds of thousands of views.
Fact Check: The claim that Malia Obama received a USAID grant originated as a satire
However, there is no evidence that Malia Obama has received any grant from USAID. There is also no evidence that Nick Shirley found this through an investigation, nor are there any reports of him saying that the media is trying to cover for her.
A search on Google for the claims yields no relevant results from any prominent news media outlets. If the rumors were true, it would have been widely covered on the news, stirring controversy and debates.
Moreover, the post has a watermark stating, "satire," and was posted by a popular parody account called "America’s Last Line Of Defense," which states in the bio, "Nothing on this page is real."
Nick Shirley claims he received death threats due to his reporting
Nick Shirley gained national attention for exposing alleged daycare fraud in Minnesota last year.
His work alleged widespread fraud in Minnesota’s federally and state-funded programs. It exposed empty or minimally operational Somali-run daycares receiving millions in Child Care Assistance Program funds without providing services.
During a podcast appearance recently, Shirley said he has begun traveling with security after receiving death threats linked to his reporting.
Shirley said the threats have significantly affected his daily life and ability to move freely, adding that he now takes additional precautions for his personal safety.
