Yale’s Turning Point USA chapter hosted Nick Shirley, a self-described independent journalist best known for exposing fraud in Somali-run daycares in Minnesota.
Nick Shirley speaks at Sterling-Sheffield-Strathcona Hall. (Credit: Emily Akbar)
Emily Akbar
Campus Reporting Editor, The Buckley Beacon
On Thursday evening, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) at Yale invited independent journalist Nick Shirley for an off-the-record event, the organization’s first since becoming a registered Yale student group last spring.
Shirley’s appearance fell on the first anniversary of the death of Charlie Kirk— the deceased founder of Turning Point USA known for his right-wing political activism on college campuses. Carlos Perez ‘29, the chapter’s president, said the date was not initially selected for that reason, but since Shirley happened to be available in early September, it was clear that there was “no better date” for the chapter’s first event. Diego Victoria ‘27, the chapter’s vice-president, said the group wanted to mark the anniversary with a high-profile speaker who could honor Kirk’s legacy of political speech on college campuses.
“It’d obviously be an injustice to not have an event on this date. And so, of course, this date is very important to many people, and especially to us. And so we definitely want to bring someone of such a high caliber, like Nick Shirley, that can speak the truth on campus,” Victoria said ahead of the event, referring to the decision to host the event on the anniversary of Kirk’s death.
The event also featured a significant Yale Police presence. Attendees were not allowed to bring bags into the event and were screened by a detection wand before entering. “This was typical YPD protocol for high-profile speakers,” Perez told the Beacon. “It was obviously pretty significant for today, both because of the date and simply because this is someone who’s been threatened multiple times, including… when he was at Harvard.”
Shirley is a self-described independent journalist who has built a large following through his videos focused on lightning-rod political issues like immigration, government spending, and alleged fraud. In December 2025, his video investigating publicly funded child care centers in Minnesota went viral and drew praise from Vice President JD Vance and other Trump Administration officials.
In the Minnesota video, Shirley visited several child care centers run by Somali immigrants in Minneapolis and alleged that facilities receiving millions of dollars in public funding were fraudulent, with some featuring a notable lack of children or misspelled signs. The video garnered national attention and launched federal investigations into Minnesota’s social-service programs.
Despite his claims being scrutinized by the mainstream media, Shirley’s work has had a resounding effect in political and legal spheres. In July, he testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at a hearing on fraud in government programs. In a recent post on X, Shirley claimed his video is the most legislatively impactful of all time, with over 30 bills written as a result of it.
At the Yale event, which took place at Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall, Shirley recounted his path from making YouTube videos as a teenager to reporting from the U.S.-Mexico border and investigating alleged fraud in Minnesota and California. He said his reporting developed out of a desire to see events firsthand rather than rely on accounts from traditional media.
Much of Shirley’s presentation centered on his investigations into alleged government fraud. He recounted traveling to Minnesota after receiving information about publicly funded facilities and visiting locations that he said appeared inactive despite receiving government money. Shirley argued that the broader problem extended beyond Minnesota and reflected weaknesses in the government’s ability to manage public spending.
Shirley described his work as increasingly driven by a sense of responsibility rather than simply an interest in producing content. He recalled adopting the saying, “If not me, then who? If not now, then when?” while deciding whether to pursue stories that he believed other journalists had overlooked.
After his presentation, Shirley sat down for a fireside chat that touched on his approach to journalism, government spending, and the expanding role of young people in politics. Shirley said he believed reporters should spend more time on the ground rather than reporting from afar. Shirley also predicted that independent journalism would continue to grow as social media is beginning to dominate how people get their news.
The conversation also turned to Charlie Kirk, whose death one year earlier helped spur the creation of TPUSA at Yale. Shirley credited Kirk with encouraging young conservatives to enter politically hostile spaces and engage in difficult conversations.
Following the event, TPUSA at Yale President Carlos Perez said he was pleased with the reception to the chapter’s first public event.
“I thought it was a great first event,” Perez told the Beacon. “I thought the energy was there, and I think it’s a good precedent for hopefully many more.”
Both Perez and Victoria expressed hope that TPUSA will continue to grow after the first event.
“We definitely have plans to continue Charlie Kirk’s legacy. And so we have a lot of events lined up,” Victoria said. “Nick Shirley is our first event, but it most definitely will not be our last.”
Perez said the chapter plans to host another speaker from the think-tank world near the end of September, followed by several more events in October and November.