Daniel Recognized by President Trump During Speech
WASHINGTON D.C. (OnFocus) – In a moment of national recognition, 13-year-old D.J. Daniel, a young man who has inspired law enforcement agencies across the country, was honored by President Donald Trump during his address to a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday night.
D.J., a resident of Pearland, Texas, was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer at the age of six. Despite facing immense challenges, he set a personal goal to be sworn into 100 different law enforcement agencies across the United States. That goal has long been surpassed, with D.J. now having been inducted into hundreds of departments—including Wood County, Wisconsin.
On December 5, 2022, D.J. was sworn in as an honorary Wood County Deputy during a special ceremony at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Wood County Lieutenant Nathan Dean was attending the Academy at that time and performed the ceremony during what the class called “D.J. Daniel Day.”
“He and his dad came to National Academy and he did everything we do in a day: coming to our PT, sitting in on classes, hanging with officers at lunch – you name it, he was doing it,” said Lt. Dean. “We put together a special ceremony and more than 50 agencies that were represented in class were able to swear him in and he became an honorary member of that department.”
“It was just super cool and to see him recognized last night in the House Chamber, it was pretty remarkable,” he added, stating that D.J. is a really special kid. “Just the most loving and funniest kid you’ll ever meet. You give him a little grief and he’ll kick it back to you. He does not skip a beat.”
D.J.’s love and respect for law enforcement have earned him admiration from officers nationwide and that love and respect was recognized on the national stage last night.
After discussing a new crime bill that would “get tough on repeat offenders while enhancing protections for America’s police officers so they can do their jobs without fear of their lives being totally destroyed,” Trump then took a moment to recognize D.J. in the House Chamber, highlighting his resilience and dedication to law enforcement.
Amidst applause, the President stated:
“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. His name is DJ Daniel. He is 13 years old, and he has always dreamed of becoming a police officer. 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. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true, and DJ has been sworn in as an honorary law enforcement officer—actually a number of times. The police love him. The 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. Thank you, DJ.”
The announcement was met with thunderous applause as D.J., who has already earned the respect of law enforcement agencies nationwide, received this once-in-a-lifetime recognition.
In addition to honoring D.J., President Trump addressed concerns about rising childhood cancer rates, sharing that his doctors believe his cancer may have stemmed from chemical exposure at a young age. He noted that childhood cancer rates have increased by over 40% since 1975 and pledged to prioritize reversing this trend through the new Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy Again, chaired by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Author: News Desk
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