A split image of DJ Daniel and Democrat lawmakers during President Donald Trump' address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025. (Getty Images)
SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER DEMS DO NOT STAND FOR 13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR: 'TRULY SICK PEOPLE'
"After the Secret Service gave him his [badge] and he sat back down, but then he reached back up and hugged the Secret Service chief, it made me cry. I had tears. I was wiping a freaking tear," Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital over the phone.
"I clapped and was touched – not rolling my eyes," she added.
When asked to comment on Democrats not standing for Daniel, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., told Fox News Digital: "That was a moving story. What Trump left out, of course, is he's cutting research for cancer, which is pretty, pretty bad."
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., also broke his silence in a social media post ripping Democrats on Wednesday afternoon.
"A sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance. It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained. We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to – and it may not be the winning message," Fetterman posted on X.
President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025. (Sha Hanting/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
"To see my Democrat colleagues refuse to stand for a young boy who is battling cancer, who has the opportunity tonight to be recognized for that, to refuse to stand for police officers. It's just really extraordinary," Hawley said.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said it was "disgusting" and a "total disregard for the American people" that Democrats refused to applaud.
"It was disgusting. The behavior was completely out of line with decorum. I think the fact that you had Democrats refusing to applaud for a child with cancer, refusing to applaud for the widow of a slain police officer, refusing to applaud for the mother of a victim of a crime who was murdered by an illegal immigrant – that speaks volumes to not only their depraved inhumanity, but their total disregard for the American people," Lawler said.
More Republicans slammed Democrats' decorum Tuesday night as "embarrassing" and "disgraceful."
"Honestly, the biggest thing is [it is] super embarrassing for the Democrats. I think they totally disparaged themselves today by just standing there. Couldn't clap for a 13-year-old boy? Pretty sad," Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib holds up a white board message as President Donald Trump speaks to Congress on March 4, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Republicans said they delivered standing ovations on bipartisan issues during President Joe Biden's past State of the Union speeches.
"There's a lot of times they should have stood. We did when Biden was president. Of course, we didn't stand a whole lot, but when it was a bipartisan issue, we all stood." Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said.
"We suffered through four years of Joe Biden. When the first lady came up, we gave her a standing ovation as Joe Biden went through the people he had in the audience honoring them. We stood up and clapped for them. I mean, why wouldn't somebody stand up and clap for a little 13-year-old boy who's been through brain cancer, and they deputize him to the Secret Service?" Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., added.
Republican lawmakers told Fox News Digital they had never seen Democrats be "deliberately disruptive" and "kicked out of the House chamber" during a joint address to Congress.
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, duriing President Donald Trump address to a joint session of Congress, March 4, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
"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. He has always dreamed of becoming a police officer himself. But 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," Trump said.
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"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," Trump said.
His father, Theodis, held the 13-year-old over his shoulders as DJ showed off his new badge to the chamber.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/couldnt-clap-13-year-old-boy-gop-slam-childish-dem-silence-supporting-cancer-survivor