MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, who is facing intense scrutiny after controversial comments she made about a young cancer survivor featured in President Trump’s recent address to Congress, has seen a significant drop in viewership since the Nov. 5 election, according to Nielsen figures.
Wallace, the former communications official for George W. Bush who gained attention for her critical coverage of Trump throughout his presidency, saw her ratings suffer after Democrats lost power.
From the start of 2024 until Election Day, her show averaged 1.6 million viewers, but in the aftermath of Trump’s victory, that number plummeted by 35% — falling to just over one million viewers for the remainder of the year, Nielsen figures show.
The decline was also evident in the key advertising demographic of adults aged 25-54, where she saw a drop from 144,000 viewers before the election to 93,000 after.
Since Jan. 1, the trend has continued, with “Deadline: White House” averaging 1.1 million viewers — marking a 25% decline compared to the same period in 2024.
Competing programs on Fox News, which air in the same 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. time slot, have significantly outpaced Wallace’s viewership, drawing an average audience of 3.6 million. Fox News shares common ownership with The Post.
Even in the key 25-54 demographic, Wallace has lagged behind, with 108,000 viewers — trailing cable offerings like “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” on Food Network and BET’s “Tyler Perry’s Sistas.”
Despite the ratings decline, there was some good news for Comcast-owned MSNBC.
Last month, MSNBC ranked as the No. 2 cable news network in total viewers during prime time and total day. The network averaged 1.126 million viewers in primetime and 638,000 in total day viewership, with 111,000 in the primetime demo and 66,000 in the total day demo.
Compared to January, MSNBC’s prime time audience expanded by 53%, while its key demo rose by 76%.
The network’s total day numbers also saw a 26% increase in viewers and a 47% rise in the demo.
However, year-over-year numbers showed declines, with prime time total viewers down 16% and the demo down 9%. Total day viewership dropped 25% from 2024, with a 21% dip in the demo.
The latest controversy erupted after Trump honored 13-year-old DJ Daniel, a brain cancer survivor who aspires to be a police officer.
During his speech, Trump made Daniel an honorary Secret Service agent, saying, “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.”
Following the address, Wallace’s analysis on MSNBC took an unexpected turn, drawing a connection between the young boy and the events of January 6, 2021.
“I let myself feel joy about DJ, and I hope he’s alive for another, you know, 95 years, and I hope he lives the life he wants to live. He wants to be a cop. He knows what he wants to do, and maybe when you have childhood cancer, that crystallizes for you,” she said before pivoting to a darker tone.
“I hope he has a long life as a law enforcement officer,” Wallace continued.
“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, and I hope he isn’t one who has to testify against the people who carried out acts of seditious conspiracy and then lived to see Donald Trump pardon those people.”
Wallace’s MSNBC colleague, prime time host Rachel Maddow, also raised eyebrows with her commentary.
Maddow made an unusual accusation against Trump, calling him “disgusting” for highlighting DJ’s courageous fight against a life-threatening illness that doctors initially predicted would claim his life within months.
“For the record – and this is disgusting – the president made a spectacle out of praising a young man who’s thus far survived pediatric cancer – as if the president had something to do with that,” the liberal host fumed.
The comments from Maddow and Wallace sparked immediate backlash, with criticism pouring in from media outlets and social media users alike.
The White House also weighed in, with Trump himself condemning the remarks.
“Frankly, what Nicolle Wallace said — I’ve never been a fan of hers, and she’s not very talented, but I will tell you what she said the other day about the young man is disgraceful. She should be forced to resign,” Trump said on Thursday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the sentiment during Wednesday’s press briefing, further fueling the controversy.
Leavitt described Wallace’s remarks as “disgusting,” accusing her of inappropriately involving a young boy battling brain cancer in a political attack related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Regarding Maddow, Leavitt echoed Trump’s sentiment that her comments were “disgraceful,” suggesting that both hosts should resign over their statements about DJ Daniel.
The Post has sought comment from MSNBC.
