Jessica Tarlov did what Jessica Tarlov always does, she heard a story that badly damages Democrats and immediately rushed in to minimize it, dismiss it, and insult the messenger. This time, her target was independent journalist Nick Shirley and his explosive video exposing apparent fraud at Somali run daycare centers in Minnesota. And yes, her take was every bit as bad as you would expect.
Speaking on The Five on Fox News, Tarlov tried to sound reasonable while doing what she does best, running interference. She framed the issue around Governor Tim Walz and his rumored 2028 ambitions, conceding that fraud happening on his watch could be politically inconvenient. But then she pivoted straight into denial mode.
According to Tarlov, there is “no way” Nick Shirley uncovered $100 million worth of fraud on his own. That was her big mic drop moment. The implication was obvious. Shirley is just some “kid walking around,” and therefore his reporting should not be taken seriously. She argued that unnamed people behind the scenes, including local journalists, must have done the real work.
This is a classic liberal media trick. When the evidence is undeniable, attack the source. Not the facts. Not the footage of empty daycares. Not the funding records showing millions flowing to facilities with locked doors and dark classrooms. Just wave it all away by saying, surely he could not have done this himself.
Here is the problem for Tarlov. No one ever claimed Shirley single handedly audited the entire Minnesota welfare system with a calculator and a trench coat. What he did was something far more dangerous to the political class. He showed up. He filmed what state regulators and friendly reporters somehow missed for years. He connected public records to real world locations. And he made it impossible to ignore.
Tarlov even managed to detour into defending school lunch programs, which had nothing to do with Shirley’s reporting. That kind of misdirection is not accidental. It is designed to blur the issue and exhaust the audience until they stop paying attention.
Her comments were transcribed by Real Clear Politics, and reading them in full only makes them worse. She was not disputing the fraud. She was disputing the audacity of an outsider exposing it.
And that is really what this is about. Nick Shirley did not go through the approved channels. He did not wait for permission. He embarrassed people who think they control the narrative.
So yes, it should surprise absolutely no one that Jessica Tarlov chose to end the year with a smug dismissal instead of curiosity or concern. When الحقيقة becomes inconvenient, denial is the only move left.
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