CNN roasted for 'effort to discredit' Shirley's viral reporting on alleged fraud at Minnesota daycare centers

CNN was roasted online by everyone from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and prominent conservative pundits to average Americans Wednesday for a segment that questioned viral reporting from independent journalist Nick Shirley. 

Shirley went viral last week for his 42-minute video investigating Minnesota daycare centers that appeared inactive despite receiving millions of dollars in government funding. His video prompted investigations by federal officials, leading the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to freeze all childcare payments to Minnesota.

CNN correspondent Whitney Wild interviewed Shirley in a segment featured on "Anderson Cooper 360" Tuesday night, during which Wild questioned Shirley's methods of investigating the centers.

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After peppering Shirley with questions, the CNN reporter said the network is "looking into" his claims. Wild was then shown calling Minnesota daycare centers via speakerphone, acknowledging many of the centers Shirley visited did not pick up her calls. 

"Only one daycare facility answered and said they are a legitimate business," Wild told viewers. 

The segment was quickly panned on social media, where many suggested CNN was spending more time "investigating Nick Shirley than the fraud in Minneapolis." 

Fox News host Laura Ingraham wrote, "No one on earth is surprised that CNN appears to side with Somali fraudsters."

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The popular account Libs of TikTok wrote, "CNN disputes that there's fraud in Minnesota Somali daycares because they called a bunch of daycares, one answered so they asked if they're committing fraud, and the daycare responded that they're not. I'm not kidding."

New York Post columnist Miranda Devine added, "What an embarrassment, @CNN. She interviews @nickshirleyy in person but not the day care center. And then she takes the word of the one day care center she contacts by phone - but does not visit - that they are legit? Seriously?"

While Shirley himself called the CNN report a "hit piece," many were in disbelief that a news network would try to discredit his reporting. 

"So CNN's angle here is to try and discredit @nickshirleyy while patting authorities for pursuing fraud on the back. But hilariously, two minutes in, the network buries the lede. 'We reached out to several of the daycares featured in the now-viral video. Only one daycare facility answered and said they are a legitimate business.' Just take the one person's word for it," journalist Benjamin Weingarten responded. 

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CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the online backlash. 

Many others took to social media with thoughts: 

Fox News Digital's Lindsay Kornick and Marc Tamasco contributed to this report.