What did Rachel Maddow say about Trump honoring DJ Daniel? Father of 13-year-old cancer survivor slams MSNBC host

When Rachel Maddow criticized former President Donald Trump for paying tribute to 13-year-old cancer survivor Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel in his Tuesday night speech to Congress, she received a lot of negative feedback. In recognition of Daniel's tenacity in fighting a rare brain and spine cancer, Trump named him an honorary member of the Secret Service. Although many applauded the event, Maddow said that Trump had taken advantage of the little child for his political ends.

Trump acknowledged Daniel, who has been fighting brain cancer since 2018, during his address to Congress. Trump said that Daniel would become an honorary agent of the US Secret Service, and the young kid, wearing a police outfit, was commended for his tenacity.

Trump said,

“In 2018, DJ was diagnosed with brain cancer. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago.”

Trump then turned towards him and said,

“Police departments love him. And tonight, DJ, we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new Secret Service director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service.”

There was a lot of clapping at the moment, and many audience members were impacted by Daniel's response. As part of a nationwide effort to increase awareness of pediatric cancer, the kid, who has long aspired to be a police officer, has been inducted into many law enforcement departments.

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Rachel Maddow's Comments and Public Reactions

Rachel Maddow of MSNBC expressed disapproval with the way the scene was portrayed after Trump's speech. Maddow blasted what she saw as the politicization of Daniel's narrative during the post-speech analysis.

Maddow said,

“For the record — and this is disgusting — the president made a spectacle out of praising a young man who’s thus far survived pediatric cancer, as if the president had something to do with that.”

She went on to argue that Trump’s policies had negatively impacted funding for pediatric cancer research.

Rachel Maddow cited budget decisions that have impacted financing for medical research, saying,

“This was in the midst of him praising DOGE. The DOGE cuts, among other things, have cut off funding for ongoing research into pediatric cancer,”

Conservative critics and social media users swiftly criticized her comments, claiming that she had minimized a momentous occasion for the young cancer survivor. Regardless of political views, others deemed her remarks offensive, claiming that Daniel's acknowledgement was a heartfelt and constructive act.

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DJ Daniel's father responds

In a New York Post interview, DJ's father, Theodis Daniel, expressed his annoyance and vehemently disagreed with Rachel Maddow's remarks.

Daniel said,

“She needs to shut her mouth if she has nothing nice to say,”

He went on to add,

“This lady didn’t even serve time in the military. I was on the USS Kitty Hawk. She does not need to put her bad energy on us.”

Daniel criticized what he perceived as an attempt to politicize the occasion and underlined how much the acknowledgement meant to his kid and his family. He applauded DJ for the honor and brushed off Rachel Maddow's worries about its political ramifications.

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Rachel Maddow has not responded to criticism of her comments, and MSNBC has not spoken either. Although neither has released a statement, calls for an apology are still ongoing.