A right-wing YouTuber named Nick Shirley recently released a video alleging widespread fraud at Somali-owned day care centers in Minneapolis. The video featured an unnamed source, who claims to be "David," and was picked up by conservative outlets such as Fox News. However, further investigation revealed that the true identity of this source is none other than David Hoch, a lobbyist with connections to the Minnesota state House.
Hoch has a long history of making derogatory statements about Somalis and Muslims online, and his views are deeply rooted in right-wing extremism. According to his now-deleted Instagram account, Hoch claimed that "every Somali in MN is engaged in fraud" and even referred to Muslims as "demons." He also posted a video on TikTok claiming that the ABC Learning Center was always empty during his visit.
Despite these questionable claims, Hoch received information about the day care centers from a Republican staffer named Joe Marble, who works as a committee administrator for the Minnesota House Republicans. Marble is also a research consultant for the House GOP Caucus and has worked with Hoch on lobbying projects in the past.
The video's allegations have sparked a frenzy on social media, with some high-profile figures like Donald Trump Jr. praising Shirley's work. However, experts have questioned the accuracy of the claims, pointing out that contradictory evidence continues to emerge. The video also raises concerns about the motivations behind Shirley's reporting, particularly given his own history of making unsubstantiated claims.
In an interview on Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast, Shirley claimed that Hoch's research had been suppressed, but he failed to provide any concrete evidence to support this assertion. It remains unclear whether Shirley and Hoch have any connection beyond their shared right-wing views, but one thing is certain - the video has ignited a firestorm of controversy and raised serious questions about the credibility of the Somali community in Minneapolis.
As journalists and media consumers, it's essential to approach such claims with a healthy dose of skepticism and verify information through reputable sources before jumping to conclusions. The Intercept will continue to investigate this story and hold those in power accountable for their actions.
Hoch has a long history of making derogatory statements about Somalis and Muslims online, and his views are deeply rooted in right-wing extremism. According to his now-deleted Instagram account, Hoch claimed that "every Somali in MN is engaged in fraud" and even referred to Muslims as "demons." He also posted a video on TikTok claiming that the ABC Learning Center was always empty during his visit.
Despite these questionable claims, Hoch received information about the day care centers from a Republican staffer named Joe Marble, who works as a committee administrator for the Minnesota House Republicans. Marble is also a research consultant for the House GOP Caucus and has worked with Hoch on lobbying projects in the past.
The video's allegations have sparked a frenzy on social media, with some high-profile figures like Donald Trump Jr. praising Shirley's work. However, experts have questioned the accuracy of the claims, pointing out that contradictory evidence continues to emerge. The video also raises concerns about the motivations behind Shirley's reporting, particularly given his own history of making unsubstantiated claims.
In an interview on Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast, Shirley claimed that Hoch's research had been suppressed, but he failed to provide any concrete evidence to support this assertion. It remains unclear whether Shirley and Hoch have any connection beyond their shared right-wing views, but one thing is certain - the video has ignited a firestorm of controversy and raised serious questions about the credibility of the Somali community in Minneapolis.
As journalists and media consumers, it's essential to approach such claims with a healthy dose of skepticism and verify information through reputable sources before jumping to conclusions. The Intercept will continue to investigate this story and hold those in power accountable for their actions.
This whole thing is just wild 
... I mean, on one hand, it's super concerning that some ppl are making outlandish claims about the Somali community in Minneapolis 
. If there's actually fraud going on, we need to address it ASAP 
. But at the same time, I'm really questioning Nick Shirley's credibility right now 
... like, how did he get this info from David Hoch, and why didn't his sources come forward? 
And what's up with Donald Trump Jr. giving him a shoutout without doing his due diligence? 
This whole thing just reeks of right-wing bias to me 
. Can we please just verify the facts before jumping on the bandwagon? 
They're just perpetuating hate and fear, and it's disgusting. And now that we know the true identity of "David" is some lobbyist with a history of Islamophobia, it's even more ridiculous. Can you believe Trump Jr. is praising this guy? 
It's like he's drinking the Kool-Aid or something. Anyway, I'm so glad The Intercept is on top of this story and calling out the BS. We need to fact-check everything and not jump to conclusions based on speculation. This just goes to show how easily misinformation can spread online, and it's up to us as consumers to be more critical. 
. It's like, you can't just make up stuff and then try to spin it as "research" and expect people to swallow it whole without doing their due diligence. And don't even get me started on the fact that Shirley claimed Hoch's work was being suppressed... like, dude, if it wasn't already deleted from his Instagram, how exactly do you plan on proving that? 
. We need to be way more careful about what we believe when it comes to info like this...
.
. We need to hold people in power accountable for their actions and make sure we're critically thinking before sharing stuff on social media 
.
. As a community, we need to be better at calling out people like him for their racist views and holding them accountable for their actions 
.
It's like, hello, if you're going to report on something, make sure it's fact-checked and not just a bunch of hate speech.
. Nick Shirley's video was picked up by conservative outlets without any fact-checking, and now we're seeing the damage that can be done when unsubstantiated claims are amplified 
. The fact that David Hoch has a history of making derogatory statements about Somalis and Muslims is particularly disturbing 
. As a society, we need to do better at holding people in power accountable for their actions and promoting media literacy 
. And now we're seeing right-wing YouTubers like Nick Shirley getting attention for it? 
. It's always better to fact-check and verify information before sharing it with others