Nick Shirley to Donald Trump Jr. [WATCH]

Independent journalist Nick Shirley and Donald Trump Jr. argued that criminal accountability is essential in addressing large-scale fraud allegations, stressing that political status should not shield anyone from prosecution.

The exchange focused on the need for jail time in cases involving significant financial crimes and raised questions about how alleged fraudulent funds were distributed and potentially leveraged for political purposes.

Shirley said the issue comes down to equal treatment under the law and whether government leaders are willing to enforce consequences.

“I think we the accountability we want to see happen with this is we do want to see people actually be held criminally for what they’ve committed. If you stole $10 million you’d be in jail. If I stole $10 million I’d be in jail,” Shirley said.

He added that the same standard should apply to elected officials, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, if evidence supports wrongdoing.

“So therefore Tim Waltz is accountable for, let’s just say, even a million dollars of this fraud, whether he has to spend 10 days in a prison cell or however many years a judge finds him guilty for it. That’s what he should have to do,” Shirley continued.

He expanded the argument beyond a single figure, stating that consequences should extend to others connected to the alleged misconduct.

“And same with all the other fraudsters and all the other corrupt politicians who allowed this to happen. Account like, it’s time to take it serious.”

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Shirley framed the situation as a test for those currently in power, suggesting that decisive action would demonstrate credibility.

“And this is such a pivotal moment for the current administration to make to really show like, okay, we’re holding people accountable for what they’ve done,” he said.

Donald Trump Jr. responded by focusing on the scope and complexity of the alleged fraud, emphasizing that investigations must follow the money rather than stop at surface-level participants.

“Yeah, like, I saw Kash put out a thing on it, you know, they’ve been looking into this for months, you know,” Trump Jr. said, noting that inquiries have been ongoing.

He argued that targeting individual recipients is insufficient if the broader financial network remains intact.

“And, you know, I guess the thing is this, there’s not just the people at the daycare centers or the people taking that check. Where’s the money going? Where’s the other funding?” Trump Jr. asked.

According to him, uncovering the full extent of the alleged wrongdoing requires tracing financial flows across multiple entities.

“I mean, this is complicated stuff to track down, because you really can’t just take out the one daycare center or the 50 or the 100 that are there. You got to see where all this other stuff is going,” he said.

Trump Jr. suggested that deeper scrutiny could expose a far larger operation.

“So you can uncover what is probably a much larger corruption case than even what you’ve discovered, which is, again, billions of dollars, in my opinion, probably at least.”

Trump Jr. further speculated that the alleged fraud could be linked to political operations, asserting that the money trail may extend into campaign activity.

“But it seems like it’s going so much further than that, and it all probably ties back to some sort of Democrat fundraising apparatus where these businesses are then making sure that they’re electing the people and the people and the Democrats so they can keep perpetuating these fraudulent policies, and it’s just a never ending vicious cycle,” he said.

Shirley agreed with that assessment and returned to the idea that accountability begins with those at the top.

“Yeah, it is a never ending vicious cycle,” he said.

He maintained that targeting the most influential figures would send a clear signal.

“But I think if they do go after the person who’s most accountable for this and who has even said that organized crime, he’s even admitted to organized crime, and Tim Walz has before the fraud.”

According to Shirley, prior knowledge heightens responsibility. “So he’s known about this fraud for a long time,” he said, adding that continued enforcement would have broader effects.

“So if they go after him, and they continue to go after everybody else, then you’ll see massive change, and you’ll see real accountability held.”

Trump Jr. closed the exchange with a brief reaction, saying, “Yeah, now, it’s nuts.”

WATCH:

🚨NEW: @nickshirleyy to @DonaldJTrumpJr:

“We do want to see people actually be held criminally … if Tim Walz is accountable for even $1 million of this fraud, whether he has to spend 10 days in a prison cell — or however many years a judge finds him guilty for — that’s what… pic.twitter.com/xHLvR3C2oi

— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) December 30, 2025