Fact Check: Is Nick Shirley being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

WASHINGTON, DC: A social media post claims the White House has announced a Presidential Medal of Freedom for citizen journalist Nick Shirley for his contribution to exposing fraud. The claim has sparked concerns and questions about its authenticity, with many calling for a fact-check.

Claim: Nick Shirley to be awarded Presidential Medal

According to a viral post circulating on X, Nick Shirley will become the youngest American in history to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

“The President agrees,” outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt allegedly said. “Mr. Shirley’s research has been invaluable to investigations across the country.” 

The post claims that Leavitt confirmed Shirley will receive the medal at a White House ceremony when he returns from Spain, where he is currently documenting ‘the invasion.’

The claim drew outrage from online users who questioned Shirley’s credibility and slammed the Trump administration for the alleged move. However, many believe the claim to be authentic. Meanwhile, a few others remained skeptical and questioned the claim’s truth, prompting a verification.

Fact Check: Karoline Leavitt made no such announcement

However, no official reports that say Shirley is being considered for the prestigious medal. Hence, the claim is rated as false.

No official announcements, statements, or social media posts from the White House about the award. 

There is also no evidence that Leavitt made the above statement, announcing the award. A search on Google and other search engines for the claim returned no credible reports by prominent news media outlets, which, if true, would not go unreported.

Moreover, the claim originated from an X account, which, though not explicitly a parody account, has posted similar fake and unverified claims, likely intended as satire.

Nick Shirley's controversial rise to national attention

Nick Shirley gained national attention in 2025 after he exposed the alleged daycare fraud in Minnesota.

His work claimed widespread fraud in the state’s federal and state-funded programs, allegedly exposing empty or minimally operational Somali-run daycares receiving millions in Child Care Assistance Program funds without providing services.  

Shirley also drew scrutiny for not providing credible evidence to substantiate his claims. Recently, Rep Thomas Massie appeared to question whether his reporting deserved to be taken seriously.

“Hard to take Nick Shirley seriously until he starts calling out Johnson, Thune, and Trump for funding the daycare fraud in every Omnibus and CR bill with no guardrails,” Massie wrote.