Podcaster Joe Rogan called out California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday for criticizing independent journalist Nick Shirley for doing the work his government has failed to do.
Shirley, a young YouTuber filming independent investigations, broke into the national spotlight after releasing a viral investigation in Minnesota alleging fraud in state-funded daycare programs. Recently, he has continued his work by alleging similar fraudulent business schemes in California.
Newsom’s office, however, was not amused, and responded by mocking Shirley’s daycare fraud investigation by posting what appeared to be a satirical, AI-generated photo of a man carrying several cameras at a daycare and asking a teacher, “Hey, can I see your kids?”
“Did you see what the governor posted, what Newsom’s press office posted?” Rogan asked his guest on Friday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “They posted a photo of Nick Shirley, like a fake Nick Shirley, like a meme – like Nick Shirley peeking into windows.”
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Rogan went on to rhetorically address Newsom, saying, “Like, Hey, he’s doing your job. He’s uncovering fraud and what you’re doing is mocking him?”
Comedian Mark Normand agreed, “Right. You should go, ‘Oh s—, there’s fraud? I’m the governor.’”
Rogan went on to argue, “They should just open up the investigations into all these places immediately if you care, but all they want to do is just obfuscate, cover it up, make it look silly — make it look like he’s something, whatever he is, White supremacist — Nazi, whatever, MAGA, come up with a name.”
Shirley himself had also blasted the Newsom press office’s response, arguing, “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.”
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The online exchange with Newsom’s office came shortly after Shirley posted a video on his YouTube page titled, “I Investigated California’s Billion Dollar Fraud Crisis.”
On X, where the video was shared, Shirley alleged the fraud he discovered in California was larger than in Minnesota.
“We uncovered over $170,000,000 in fraud as these fraudsters live in luxury with no consequences,” the post said. “Like it and share it, the fraud must STOP.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s press office and did not receive an immediate reply.
