By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
On March 5, 2025, at the State of the Union address, President Donald J. Trump officially facilitated the swearing-in of a courageous 13-year-old as the newest member of the Secret Service. His name is D.J. Daniel, and everything about him is inspirational. He was diagnosed in 2018 with brain cancer, and given about five months to live. However, D.J. is still with us, and it’s clear he has a purpose. At the very least, he is a stalwart reminder of goodness, perseverance, the power of loving and being loved, and in under five minutes, he stole most of our hearts. He has had several surgeries which have impacted his size and his motor skills, but his speech, his heart, and his hugs are clear, warm, and strong.
All of his life D.J. has wanted to be a member of law enforcement, and most especially a Secret Service agent. So, when the President surprised D.J. with being sworn in by the new director of the agency, Sean Curran, the look on his face was unforgettable. His eyes became big as plates, which was dear enough, but when Sean Curran came to him with his credentials, D.J. hugged the man, and I mean, he hugged the man.
There were a number of things about this incident that to me were endearing, noteworthy, interesting, and in some cases, sad and just plain rude. The first was the hug given back to D.J. by Mr. Curran. Mind you, the Secret Service is not normally in the business of hugging, especially when they are on duty. Mr. Curran’s training would have been to keep his head on a swivel and functioning full-on in protector mode. But that hug, so uncharacteristic made my night, and the nights of most in attendance. The crowd started chanting, “D.J.!”
What was noteworthy to me is that not only did President Trump honor the lad, he honored and in a way publicly restored the link between the President and the Secret Service. It was only a few months ago that the President was nearly assassinated, and part of the reason it even got to that point is the fact that the Secret Service needed an overhaul. They were guilty of an epic functional failure that was a disaster, up to and including the death of a civilian.
There were people in the audience that managed to eke out a golf clap, and there were sourpusses who refused to clap, let alone stand and clap. That is just sad. This is a precious kid, and his story goes beyond politics. I would hope that if this had been a year ago, and President Biden had been the one to give D.J. his credentials, no one would have objected. However, Nicolle Wallace and Rachel Maddow felt the need to make dreadful comments which I won’t dignify with a response, and the backlash against them has been swift, sure, and powerful.
Their rudeness has only served to strengthen our new-found love for D.J. and his dad, and for that reason, I am glad. I am also glad that people’s true colors have been shown in “full color,” and may that continue. Until then, keep your eye on D.J. The guy is a universe-denter.
March 7, 2025
