President Trump denounced the MSNBC personality Nicolle Wallace on Thursday for comments she made about a 13-year-old cancer survivor, saying she should “be forced to resign.” For good measure, he also called for the forced resignation of Ms. Wallace’s senior MSNBC colleague, Rachel Maddow, who was presiding over the television panel on which Ms. Wallace made the comments.   

The on-air incident occurred late Tuesday night, following President Trump’s speech when 13-year-old cancer survivor Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel was honored at the Capitol. He was made an honorary Secret Service agent – more than six years after he was given five months to live due to his cancer diagnosis.

Following the speech, Ms. Wallace appeared on an MSNBC panel, overseen by Ms. Maddow, that also included Jen Psaki, who was President Biden’s first press secretary, and Michael Steele, who is an anti-Trump Republican. Ms. Wallace called the moment with DJ a “disgusting” political move while saying they hope he does not commit suicide.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Thursday, Mr. Trump said, “Frankly, what Nicolle Wallace said – I’ve never been a fan of hers, and she’s not very talented – but I’ll tell you, what she said the other day about that young man is disgraceful. She should be forced to resign, and Rachel Maddow should be forced to resign.”

“Nobody watches her anyway. It’s not possible they pay her as much money as I hear,” he said, referring to reports that Ms. Maddow renewed her plush contract that pays her $25 million a year while she hosts the “Rachel Maddow Show” one night a week, down from the previously agreed upon $30 million. 

Mr. Trump said both hosts have “lost all credibility,” and reiterated, “What they said the other day, they should be forced to resign, about that young person, who is suffering greatly.”

During his joint speech to Congress on Tuesday, Mr. Trump noted that DJ dreamed of serving as a police officer and noted that in 2018, he was given just five months to live, leading to a standing ovation while several Democrats were seen seated. 

“DJ” has a rare brain and spine cancer, but that has not stopped him from pursuing his “quest” of being a police officer, as more than 900 law enforcement agencies have named him an honorary police officer. On Tuesday night, he was able to add another agency to the list as Mr. Trump announced he would become an honorary Secret Service agent. 

The Secret Service director, Sean Curran, gave “DJ” a Secret Service badge and a hug. Attendees of the speech started to chant, “DJ!”

Yet, while many found the moment touching, Ms. Maddow and Ms. Wallace had a much darker view of the moment. 

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

Meanwhile, Ms. Wallace found a way to make the moment about January 6, saying, “I let myself feel joy about DJ, and I hope he’s alive for another, you know, 95 years, and I hope he lives the life he wants to live. He wants to be a cop. He knows what he wants to do, and maybe when you have childhood cancer, that crystallizes for you. 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, and I hope he isn’t one who has to testify against the people who carried out acts of seditious conspiracy and then lived to see Donald Trump pardon those people,” she said. 

“DJ’s” father, Theodis Daniel, reacted to Ms. Wallace’s comment, telling the New York Post, “She needs to shut her mouth if she has nothing nice to say.”

“This lady didn’t even serve time in the military,” he said. “She does not need to put her bad energy on us.”

Representatives for MSNBC did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication.