MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace is facing intense backlash following controversial comments she made about 13-year-old DJ Daniel, a cancer survivor and guest at President Donald Trump’s recent congressional address.
The remarks, made on Tuesday night, have drawn strong criticism from Trump and his supporters, sparking renewed attention to Wallace’s declining viewership.
Daniel, who has been battling brain cancer for seven years, was honored by President Trump during his speech and made an honorary U.S. Secret Service agent. Wallace’s comments came after the president’s address, where she discussed Daniel’s appearance.
“I hope he has a long life as a law enforcement officer,” Wallace said during her conversation with Rachel Maddow. “But I hope he never has to defend the U.S. Capitol against Donald Trump’s supporters. And if he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide. And I hope he isn’t one who has to testify against the ones who carried out acts of seditious conspiracy and lived to see Donald Trump pardon those people.”
Wallace’s comments quickly drew backlash, especially from Trump’s allies, who criticized the remarks as both disrespectful and inappropriate, particularly given Daniel’s status as a cancer survivor.
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The president himself condemned the statement, calling Wallace’s comments “disgraceful” and saying she should be “forced to resign.” Trump, who has long been critical of Wallace, emphasized that using a sick child to take a shot at him was unacceptable.
The controversy surrounding Wallace’s remarks has once again placed a spotlight on her declining viewership. Since President Trump’s victory in November 2024, Deadline: White House has experienced a significant drop in ratings, per Trending Politics.
The program, which averaged 1.6 million viewers in 2024, saw a 35% decline in viewership after Trump’s victory. By December, the show was averaging just 1 million viewers per day, a sharp contrast to the days leading up to the election.
Fox News has emerged as the dominant network during Wallace’s time slot. In the same 4 to 6 p.m. EST window, Fox News regularly pulls in around 3.6 million viewers, more than triple Wallace’s audience.
Wallace’s audience among viewers aged 25-54 has also seen a dramatic decrease. Her viewership in this key demographic dropped from 144,000 per day before the election to just 93,000 in the months that followed.
The decline in Wallace’s ratings has had a significant impact on MSNBC’s overall performance. While her viewership has slightly improved in early 2025, with the show averaging 1.1 million viewers, it still represents a 25% decline compared to the same period in 2024.
Worse, Wallace’s ratings now trail even non-news programming, such as Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives on the Food Network and BET’s Tyler Perry’s Sistas.
The drop in ratings has raised concerns for MSNBC and advertisers. Wallace’s decline in the key demo signals that she is no longer as attractive to advertisers, who typically rely on high viewership to sell commercial spots.
This decline has fueled discussions about her future at MSNBC and the network’s broader challenges in retaining its audience.
The fallout from Wallace’s comments has also sparked broader criticism of the Democratic Party and its handling of the controversy.
In a White House briefing, spokesperson Leavitt criticized Democrats, calling them the “party of insanity and hate” for their refusal to stand and cheer for DJ Daniel during the congressional address. She also singled out Wallace for using a sick child to attack the president.
As Wallace’s ratings continue to struggle, it remains unclear whether she can recover from this controversy. Her remarks about DJ Daniel, a cancer survivor, have placed her at the center of a media firestorm, with growing calls for accountability and consequences for her actions.
