DJ Daniel Biography
Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel is a 13 year old Texas-based cancer survivor who was named as an honorary Secret Service agent by President Donald Trump during his first joint session of Congress making it his 909th swear-in as an honorary law enforcer.
The president noted his his love for the police and asked Sean Curran, Secret Service director to make him an agent.
“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. 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 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.”
DJ Daniel Parents
DJ Daniel is the son of Demitra Johnson, a restaurant manager and Theodis Daniel, a former machinist mate and fireman with the Navy who served USS Kitty Hawk. The couple is separated.
DJ Daniel Story
Daniel was disgnosed with stage 3 brain cancer in September 2018, when he was six years old. At the time, his family had just moved to Houston and was getting ready to enroll in new school. According to his mother, his body stiffened and was suddenly foaming at the mouth. He was rushed to the hospitak and a CAT scan revealed. He was given only five months to live but he outlived the prognosis and continues to receive treatment.
He has undergone 13 surgeries and according to his mother each surgery has changed his personality a little bit.
Daniel has a passion for law enforcement
Daniel has had a passion for law enforcement since 2017 after he saw the good work of the Houston Police Department during Hurricane Harvey and wanted to be a police officer. In 2019, his father arranged for him to be sorn in as an honorary officer with the police department of Brookshire, Texas. In 2011, Theodis invited the Texas state troopers for his ninth birthday and they also swore him and since then he has been sworn more than 900 times.
Daniel was Bullied for Wearing a Police Outfit
In 2024, Daniel was bullied at a Houston gas station by a group of people for wearing police uniform.
Last year, young DJ Daniel was harassed and made fun of by a group of people because of his police outfit.
Last night, he was honored by the president of the United States and became an honorary Secret Service agent. pic.twitter.com/jgdk9xfi68
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 5, 2025
His father was present at the time and stepped in after realizing the group was being ruthless. In another video, his dad explianed that they are used to people mocking him due to the uniform.
“We are used to all the frantic behavior, so it wasn’t anything we aren’t accustomed to. Every time they see him in his uniform, he gets a lot of laughs, some of them may ridicule him and make jokes about him. A lot of times he doesn’t want me to intervene; he’d rather just do it himself.”
Daniel responded by letting the bullies know history, and how he had undergone several surgeries and treatment and still stands ambitious in being a cop. The bullies ended up apologizing an some of the teenage girls ended up calling him “Officer DJ” respectfully.
Nicole Wallace Comment on DJ Daniel
During discussing President Donald Trump’s action to recognize D.J. Daniel, Nicole said she hopes Daniel will have a long life as a law enforcement officer and added she hoped she wouldn’t lose his life to suicide.
“I think this was a lesson in finding one thing that you let yourself feel. And 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. He wants to be a cop. He knows what he wants to do, and maybe when you have childhood cancer, that crystallizes for you.
And 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, 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.”