Karoline Leavitt’s Fiery Exchange with Nicolle Wallace: What Sparked the Controversy?

Karoline Leavitt blasted MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace over comments linking a teenage cancer survivor to the January 6 Capitol riot.

During his speech before Congress on Tuesday night, Donald Trump appointed 13-year-old Devarjaye ‘DJ’ Daniel – who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018 – to be an honorary Secret Service agent.

However, the president’s actions were quickly criticized as Wallace, 53, turned the sweet gesture into a negative by making a series of abysmal remarks.

‘I hope he’s alive for another 95 years and I hope he lives the life he wants to live,’ the MSNBC host began. He wants to be a cop, he knows what he wants to do and maybe when you have childhood cancer that crystallizes for you,’ she continued, before pivoting to the deadly Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

‘I hope he has a long life as a law enforcement officer, but I hope he never has to defend the United States 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,’ she said.

During the segment, Wallace also said she hopes Daniel doesn’t have to ‘testify against the people who carried out acts of seditious conspiracy and then lives to see Donald Trump pardon those people.’

The MSNBC anchor’s malicious statement was quickly slammed online soon after, including by the White House Press Secretary.

During her Wednesday press briefing, Leavitt, 27, said Democratic politicians and mainstream media figures ‘allowed their Trump Derangement Syndrome to stop them from celebrating America.’
White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, 27, blasted MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace after the television host 'disgustingly' tied a cancer-riddled boy to the gruesome January 6 Capitol riot.
White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, 27, blasted MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace after the television host ‘disgustingly’ tied a cancer-riddled boy to the gruesome January 6 Capitol riot.
MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace (right), 53, managed to turn the President's honorable gesture into a negative, introducing 'suicide' into the discussion about the terminally-ill teen (left)
MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace (right), 53, managed to turn the President’s honorable gesture into a negative, introducing ‘suicide’ into the discussion about the terminally-ill teen (left).

‘The mainstream media still doesn’t get it. Last night, MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace disgustingly looped in a 13-year-old-boy with brain cancer into an attack on the president over January 6,’ Leavitt said.

The White House official then targeted CNN, noting the cable channel called the president’s speech ‘divisive’ on national television.

‘President Trump wasn’t divisive. The Democrats were – and CNN was proven wrong by their own viewers, 69 percent of whom, in a post-speech poll said they had a positive reaction to the President’s speech,’ Leavitt said.

Just moments later, she held up a printed copy of a CBS News/YouGov poll – which she claims was passed to her by the President – that showed 76 percent of Americans ‘approved’ of the speech.

Wallace returned to the air on Wednesday but refused to address growing calls for her to be fired.

During her segment, a remorseless Wallace continued bashing President Trump, while ignoring the harsh backlash she received.

However, the 53-year-old anchor was not the only MSNBC host to criticize the president’s speech.

Rachel Maddow, 51, said it was ‘disgusting’ that Trump honored Daniel while on Wednesday morning, ‘Morning Joe’ co-host Joe Scarborough said the speech was full of ‘so much nonsense.’
Thirteen-year-old cancer survivor Devarjaye 'DJ' Daniel is lifted up by his father after  President Donald Trump made him an honorary member of the US Secret Service on March 4
Thirteen-year-old cancer survivor Devarjaye ‘DJ’ Daniel is lifted up by his father after  President Donald Trump made him an honorary member of the US Secret Service on March 4
The disgraced host returned to the air on Wednesday and refused to address growing calls for her to be fired after she made the vile remarks about the teen suffering from brain cancer
The disgraced host returned to the air on Wednesday and refused to address growing calls for her to be fired after she made the vile remarks about the teen suffering from brain cancer
During her segment, a remorseless Wallace continued bashing President Trump, while ignoring the harsh backlash she received. Pictured: Daniel hugs Secret Service Director Sean Curran
During her segment, a remorseless Wallace continued bashing President Trump, while ignoring the harsh backlash she received. Pictured: Daniel hugs Secret Service Director Sean Curran.

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

Yet, even as the network nor Wallace have made any kind of statement about her off-color remarks, viewers are out for blood.

‘@MSNBC fire Nicole Wallace!!!!,’ one user wrote, while another added: ‘Nicolle Wallace is one twisted and hateful demon. She should be booted off MSNBC.’

‘This chick on MSNBC (Nicolle Wallace) needs to be fired for saying she hopes a 13-year-old cancer patient doesn’t kill himself,’ added another. ‘Like WTF?’

‘I call on the firing of Nicolle Wallace,’ said someone else – sentiments shared by at least dozens, most of them right-leaning in their beliefs.
‘This is the most repulsive thing I’ve heard uttered from someone’s mouth,’ wrote one such user, who added: ‘Leave the kids alone!’



The 13-year-old underwent 13 surgeries by the time he was 12 as he battles a rare brain and spine cancer with no cure.

He is trying to get sworn in to as many law enforcement agencies as possible as he and his family try to raise awareness about his condition.

At the time of his 2018 diagnosis, he was told he would likely only live another five months.

Held up by his father for the touching Tuesday night moment, the cancer-stricken teen received his badge from Director Sean Curran while Republicans in the House gallery chanted his nickname, ‘DJ.’

‘He has always dreamed of becoming a police officer,’ Trump said. ‘But in 2018, DJ was diagnosed with brain cancer.’

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