AUSTIN, Texas -Joe Rogan is blasting California Governor Gavin Newsom after the governor’s office mocked independent journalist Nick Shirley instead of seriously responding to his fraud claims. During a heated segment on his podcast, Rogan argued that Shirley is doing work public officials should have handled long ago.
The dispute has added fuel to a growing fight over waste in taxpayer-funded programs. Shirley says his reporting uncovered more than $170 million in questionable billings tied to hospice providers and daycare centers across California.
Who Is Nick Shirley, and What Did He Find?
Nick Shirley is a 23-year-old YouTuber and independent reporter who first drew national attention in late 2025. At that time, he published videos focused on alleged fraud in Minnesota’s childcare subsidy system. Those reports picked up millions of views and pointed to gaps between claimed daycare enrollment and what appeared to be happening on site.
Then, in mid-March 2026, Shirley released a 40-minute video about suspected fraud in California. In the video, he and his team visited sites in Los Angeles and nearby areas. They documented locations they said appeared empty, lightly staffed, or far less active than their billing records suggested.
Among the biggest claims in Shirley’s California report:
- More than $170 million in suspect billings tied to daycare centers and hospice businesses.
- Allegations that scammers used stolen Medicare numbers to bill for hospice care for seniors who were not terminally ill.
- Daycare sites that appeared to have far fewer children than reported, while some operators showed signs of wealth, including luxury cars.
- A sharp increase in hospice enrollment in California, reportedly around 1,000% in recent years, which Shirley said could point to ghost providers.
Shirley has said the people behind these schemes are getting rich while taxpayers pay the price. He has also said he plans to keep exposing abuse in public programs.
Newsom’s Office Responds With a Meme
Instead of announcing immediate reviews of the locations featured in Shirley’s video, Newsom’s press office posted what looked like an AI-made joke image. The meme showed a figure resembling Shirley, loaded with cameras, standing outside a daycare and asking, “Hey, can I see your kids?”
The post spread quickly online and pulled in millions of views. Soon after, critics accused the governor’s team of trying to make Shirley look creepy rather than answer the claims he raised.
Shirley pushed back on social media. He wrote, “You do realize I’m trying to help America eliminate fraud and waste right? No need to try and make me look like the bad guy for exposing fraud. People are over it. Start working for the people and not against them.” In some measures, his response drew far more engagement than the original meme.
Later, Newsom’s office defended its record on fraud prevention. State officials said California has led the country in anti-fraud efforts and pointed to several figures, including:
- More than $125 billion in blocked potential fraud
- Over 1,200 arrests
- An 83% drop in EBT fraud in one year
- A ban on new hospice licenses since 2022
A spokesperson also said daycare staff should not let strangers in to inspect children, and added that daycare centers run on family schedules, not on the timing of outside investigators.
Joe Rogan Goes After Newsom on His Podcast
On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with comedian Mark Normand, Rogan tore into the governor’s response. He brought up the meme directly and said Newsom’s office had chosen ridicule over action.
“Did you see what the governor posted, what Newsom’s press office posted?” Rogan said. “They posted a photo of Nick Shirley, like a fake Nick Shirley, like a meme, like Nick Shirley peeking into windows.”
Then Rogan got to the point: “Like, hey, he’s doing your job. He’s uncovering fraud and what you’re doing is mocking him?”
Rogan said the right move would be to check the claims right away, not try to make them look silly. He also said officials may try to dismiss Shirley by attaching political labels to him, rather than dealing with the substance of his reporting.
Normand backed him up. He said a governor’s first reaction should be simple: there may be fraud, so the state should look into it.
As clips from the episode spread online, the story reached a much larger audience. That gave new life to the debate over state oversight, media distrust, and the role of independent reporting.
Joe Rogan during a recording of his popular podcast, where he often talks about politics, culture, and current events.
The Bigger Picture Behind the Fraud Debate
Shirley’s reporting did not appear out of nowhere. His earlier work in Minnesota had already drawn attention to alleged misuse of public funds in childcare programs. Those reports added pressure to a broader public debate and were followed by federal actions, including funding freezes in some areas.
California now faces similar scrutiny. In his latest reporting, Shirley pointed to patterns he believes show major abuse inside publicly funded daycare and hospice systems. Supporters see him as a citizen reporter stepping in where public watchdogs have failed or looked away.
Still, critics say his style raises concerns. Filming around daycare centers can trigger real safety issues, and a location that looks quiet at one moment does not automatically prove fraud. In other words, suspicious signs may raise red flags, but they do not settle the case on their own.
Even so, the clash has landed at a time when many Americans are already angry about government spending. That is especially true in high-tax states where voters expect close oversight of public dollars. Rogan’s comments matter because his audience is huge, and many of his listeners already distrust state agencies and major media outlets.
Public Reaction and Political Fallout
The response has been fast and loud.
- Shirley’s stance: He has kept posting updates and says he will continue investigating.
- Backlash online: Many users accused Newsom’s team of mocking a young reporter instead of taking fraud claims seriously.
- State response: The governor’s office has kept pointing to its anti-fraud numbers and brushed off Rogan’s criticism.
- Media attention: The story has been picked up by outlets including Fox News, Yahoo, and The Hill, while podcast clips continue to spread across social media.
Some people also see a political irony in all of this. Newsom, a governor closely tied to progressive policy, is taking heat for appearing to brush aside fraud concerns in programs meant to serve families and older adults.
Why Taxpayers Are Paying Attention
At the center of this fight is public money meant for vulnerable people, children in daycare and seniors in hospice care. If even part of Shirley’s reporting is accurate, the loss could be massive.
That is why Rogan’s criticism has connected with so many people. His main point was simple: officials should not mock someone who raises serious questions about public spending. They should check the claims and show the public what they find.
It is still unclear whether Shirley’s videos will lead to formal probes or criminal charges. For now, the episode shows how much power independent media can have, especially when public trust in government oversight is already weak.
Rogan’s broadside has also renewed calls for more openness from California leaders. As one observer put it, when a podcast host has to remind a governor to do his job, something is off.
