US President Donald Trump honored the 13-year-old DJ Daniel with the honorary United States Secret Service Agent. DJ was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 2018, and he underwent numerous surgeries and even today continues to defy the odds. DJ is a fighter, and his strength demonstrates an incredible zest for life.
“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police,” Donald Trump said after praising the US law enforcement officers. Donald Trump said DJ always dreamt of becoming a police officer. DJ was dressed in a Houston police uniform and sat with his father in the gallery of the House of Representatives for his speech.
“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,” Trump remarked to loud applause from the crowd in the room.
This is the 13 year old boy who was honored by President Trump last night before Congress after many years of fighting brain cancer. I have never heard such wisdom and bravery from a person this age. pic.twitter.com/zPUiBSxQcV
— Don Keith (@RealDonKeith) March 5, 2025
Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel and his small family had sought refuge in the city shelter when Hurricane Harvey hit the city of Houston in 2017. On a fortunate day, three police officers brought them pizza, and the boy decided to become a cop.
DJ Daniel’s story is one of strength and determination; it was in September 2018 that the young boy was diagnosed with high-grade anaplastic ependymoma. It is a rare and aggressive brain tumor that changed Daniel’s life. The doctors who treated him gave him just 5 months to live initially.
However, the young boy was a born fighter and chose not to give up on his life that easily. It has been more than 6 years since the doctors told him that his end was near. DJ Daniel defies the odds and carries on with his life with incredible zeal.
“I had 13 brain surgeries, and that’s how many times my personality has changed. That’s something that you don’t hear from a terminally ill child. I’m gonna keep on going into my gas tank runs out. And that’s when God calls you home. You never know when God’s gonna call you home,” DJ Daniel said in an interview with the White House.
Daniel also learned of a 7-year-old, Abigail Arias, who was suffering from cancer, and they shared the same dream. Abigail was sworn in as an honorary officer in Freeport, Texas. She also became a Facebook sensation before she passed away in 2019. Daniel followed Abigail’s lead and was sworn in by one department after another.
“Abigail is always in my heart,” said DJ in 2022. “At first, my goal was to be sworn in by 100 law enforcement agencies, but I passed that a while ago… Now I’m just having fun.”
View this post on Instagram
Daniel had been sworn in by the 908 law enforcement agencies when President Donald Trump drew attention to him in the visitor’s gallery on Tuesday night. The 909th agency came as Sean Curran, Secret Service Director, who presented him with credentials, making DJ an honorary agent.
The boy was seen throwing his arms around Curran as the members of the Republican Congress gave him a standing ovation, and they erupted into cheers and whistles. The Democrats, on the other hand, chose to remain seated during the speech, and even this sight did not make them get to their feet.
“Democrats reminded us they are the party of insanity and hate—they could not even clap for a child,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X following Trump’s address to Congress.
