MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace’s Ratings Plummet

MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, host of "Deadline: White House," has experienced a significant decline in her show's ratings following the November 5, 2024, election, where President Donald Trump secured victory. 

According to Nielsen figures, her program averaged 1.6 million total viewers from the start of 2024 until Election Day. However, post-election, viewership dropped by approximately 35%, averaging just over 1 million viewers for the remainder of 2024. In 2025, the show has continued to struggle, averaging 1.1 million viewers, a 25% decline compared to the same period in 2024. In the key advertising demographic of adults aged 25-54, her viewership fell from 144,000 before the election to 93,000 afterward, reflecting a similar 35% drop. This decline has been attributed to a broader trend of liberal audiences tuning out news programming following the Democratic loss, as Wallace's critical coverage of Trump—once a draw during his presidency—lost traction with viewers after his electoral win.

The latest pushback against Wallace stems from controversial comments she made during MSNBC's coverage of President Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday. 

During the speech, Trump honored 13-year-old Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel, a brain cancer survivor diagnosed in 2018, by making him an honorary Secret Service agent. DJ, who dreams of becoming a police officer, was celebrated in a widely applauded moment as he displayed his new badge, supported by his father in the gallery. However, Wallace's response on air drew significant criticism. 

@MSNBC WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND 'NICOLLE WALLACE' BE FIRED FOR HER DISGUSTING, HATEFUL & COLD BLOODED REMARKS OF SMALL CHILD CANCER SURVIVOR WHO RECENTLY ATTENDED TRUMP'S SPEECH.

SHE SAYS SHE HOPES HE DOESN'T COMMIT SUICIDE DEFENDING CAPITAL FROM TRUMP SUPPORTERS!

VIDEO PROOF... pic.twitter.com/q8LSNIzpPW

— Steve ULTRA MAGA (@Steve7317532777) March 6, 2025

While initially expressing joy for DJ’s recognition, she pivoted to a darker commentary, saying, “I hope he has a long life as a law enforcement officer, 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,” referencing the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and the subsequent suicides of some responding officers. She further hoped DJ wouldn’t have to “testify against the people who carried out acts of seditious conspiracy and then lived to see Donald Trump pardon those people.”

These remarks sparked outrage, particularly among conservative circles and Trump supporters, who accused Wallace of politicizing a heartfelt moment and exploiting a child’s illness for partisan purposes.

Figures like Charlie Kirk called her comments “repulsive,” demanding her firing, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled them “disgusting” for tying DJ to January 6. Social media backlash was swift, with many calling her statements “sickening” and “twisted,” arguing they overshadowed DJ’s inspiring story with unrelated political grievances. Critics, including Trump himself, who suggested both Wallace and co-host Rachel Maddow (who also criticized the moment as “disgusting” and a spectacle) should resign, framed the remarks as emblematic of broader media bias. The controversy has fueled the narrative of Wallace’s declining relevance, intertwining her ratings slump with public and political condemnation of her commentary.