Olson In-Studio on Newsmax: ICE, Nick Shirley vs. Gov. Hochul, & Fraud

Byline: Olson Strategies Staff 

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Dustin Olson, Managing Partner at Olson Strategies, joined NEWSMAX's National Report In-Studio to discuss the recent shooting of an ICE tracker in Minneapolis, then covered the social media battle between Gov. Hochul and independent journalist Nick Shirley over widespread fraud in loosely overseen social welfare programs, and finished the conversation by addressing recent measures by the Trump Administration to combat that fraud.

Recent ICE Shooting Sparks Controversy 

Olson was first asked about the tragic shooting of an ICE tracker after she appeared to hit him with her vehicle while interfering with ICE operations. He provided some commentary on the controversial situation:
 

"What's happened this time, compared to what happened back five years ago with the George Floyd protests, people were speaking up then. They were using the First Amendment against a policy. But these ICE trackers, these people who are trying to impede federal law enforcement, that's a different thing. They're actually trying to stop the policy, and I think that's why you're seeing things like this." 
 

Independent Journalist Nick Shirley vs. Gov. Kathy Hochul's Social Media Team 

The conversation then moved on to a recent situation between Independent Journalist Nick Shirley and Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York. After she and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a new child care program in the city, Nick Shirley, who had uncovered the fraud in Minnesota, urged caution, prompting a snarky response from Hochul's social media team. Olson noted that, while clever, their response was in poor taste, as Americans are still processing the very real fraud and abuse that happened in similar programs in Minnesota that appear to be happening nationwide.
 

"Well, it's a clever line, but obviously, this is a concern for Americans. We're seeing what looks to be billions of dollars of fraud, and it's in these kinds of child care services, home programs like this in particular, where some of this fraud happens. So I definitely think that this is a worthwhile thing to provide some scrutiny." 

Trump Administration Taking Action to Combat Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Lastly, they discussed some of the measures, such as appointing a new Deputy Attorney General to target fraud, that the Trump Administration has begun taking to combat fraud in other parts of the country, such as California. Olson noted that people are already supportive of the President when he tackles this issue:

"I think it's absolutely brilliant that the administration is doing this, and of the policies that the President is pursuing—so the Harvard Harris poll every month comes out with a poll that tracks all the policies that the administration is doing—and this is one of the most popular. 77% of the voters approve of the efforts to go within government and seek out this fraud, waste, and abuse." 
 
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