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MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, who generated headlines this week for widely criticized comments about a 13-year-old cancer survivor featured in President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, has seen her ratings suffer since Democrats lost power.
Wallace’s MSNBC program, "Deadline: White House," averaged 1.6 million total viewers from the start of 2024 until Election Day, then saw a dramatic 35% drop once Trump prevailed. "Deadline: White House" averaged just over one million viewers for the remainder of 2024 as its liberal audience largely tuned out the news on the heels of Trump’s victory.
"Deadline: White House" saw a similar decline in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54, averaging 144,000 demo viewers in 2024 before the election but shedding 35% to settle for an average demo audience of 93,000 following the devastating loss for Democrats.
MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace generated headlines this week for widely criticized comments about a 13-year-old cancer survivor who was featured in President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress. (Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Image)
So far in 2025, Wallace’s program has averaged 1.1 million viewers for a 25% decline compared to the same time period in 2024. Fox News Channel programming that airs during Wallace’s 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. timeslot has averaged 3.6 million viewers this year, more than triple the viewership of "Deadline: White House."
In the key demo, Wallace has averaged 108,000 viewers this year, trailing cable offerings such as "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives" on the Food Network and BET’s "Tyler Perry’s Sistas."
But Wallace has remained firmly in the zeitgeist, drumming up negative attention with controversial remarks.
One of the most memorable moments from Trump's address on Tuesday was when he put a spotlight on teenager DJ Daniel, an aspiring police officer who was told by doctors six years ago he had five months to live when he was first diagnosed with brain cancer.
"Tonight, DJ, we're going to do you the biggest honor of them all," Trump said. "I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States."
Devarjay "DJ" Daniel holds an honorary U.S. Secret Service special agent ID, presented to him by director of the U.S. Secret Service Sean Curran, right, as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
When Wallace appeared on MSNBC’s post-address coverage, she linked the young boy to Jan. 6 and the suicide of Capitol Police officers.
"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," Wallace told viewers before taking a dark turn.
"I hope he has a long life as a law enforcement officer," Wallace continued. "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."
MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace has seen her ratings suffer since President Trump won on Election Day. (MSNBC/screenshot)
The comments ignited sharp condemnation, even making their way to the White House.
"Frankly, what Nicolle Wallace said- I've never been a fan of hers, and she's not very talented, but I will tell you what she said the other day about the young man is disgraceful. She should be forced to resign," Trump said on Thursday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also put Wallace on blast during Wednesday's press briefing.
Wallace was heavily scolded on social media and generated a plethora of negative headlines. The New York Post, Newsweek, TheWrap, Daily Mail and The Baltimore Sun were among the outlets to put a spotlight on backlash over her linking Daniel to Jan. 6 and the suicide of Capitol Police officers.
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Ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.
