'Worst nightmare': Trump's awkward medal moment with daughter of fallen PBSO deputy goes viral
The daughter of a fallen Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy went viral after an icy interaction with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Trump presented Alexandria Diaz, daughter of Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy Ignacio 'Dan' Diaz, with the Medal of Sacrifice during an Oval Office ceremony on May 19. Diaz was one of three officers struck and killed by an SUV while assisting with a roadside breakdown west of Wellington in November.
Alexandria, 24, stood stone-faced as Trump handed her the medal and avoided eye contact as he appeared to try to engage her. Trump glanced at Alexandria as she displayed the medal to photographers. If he expected some form of acknowledgment or warmth, he got none.
Alexandria did not immediately return a request for comment.
The clip amassed more than 3 million views and been widely shared under the caption: 'Trump looks confused, shocked, and embarrassed about why this woman accepting a medal on her father's behalf refused to worship the ground he walks.'
'He can't believe she won't even look at him,' one viewer posted.
'She's not a phony. Good for her,' said another.
A third wrote: 'The poor girl looks like she's in a hostage video.'
Alexandria addressed the moment in a TikTok video.
'This is actually my worst nightmare, to go viral, become a meme, whatever," she said. "I literally just landed back home and got a text from my friend that was like, 'You're going viral.' And I was like, 'God, no.' '
Alexandria said she is "not a cop" and "not a Republican." She ended the brief video by saying "Free Palestine."
The ceremony honored Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies Diaz and Ralph 'Butch' Waller Jr. and Cpl. Luis Paez Jr. They were posthumously awarded the first-ever Medals of Sacrifice, intended to recognize officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Paez, 58, was an avid photographer on the brink of retirement. Waller, 54, was an outdoorsman once honored by his captain for his outstanding work ethic. Diaz, 51, helped to convict a driver blamed for one of the deadliest crashes in Riviera Beach's history.
All three belonged to PBSO's traffic division. Between them, the men had a combined 75 years of experience at the sheriff's office. Each was sent airborne when an SUV veered off Southern Boulevard and hit them where they stood, preparing to jumpstart a department-issued motorcycle. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
"My dad treated every day like it was his last," Alexandria said during a memorial service for the three men. "He loved getting on that bike every day. Coincidentally, this was his favorite time of year because it wasn't hot. He loved getting on the motorcycle in these days."
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump's awkward medal moment with daughter of fallen PBSO deputy goes viral
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
20 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Podcast: Trump's Plan B After Trade Court Setback
Last week, an obscure trade court dropped a bombshell ruling: President Trump didn't have the authority to issue sweeping tariffs under a 1977 law. The government has appealed the court's decision. WSJ's James Fanelli and Gavin Bade dig into the ruling and what it could mean for the future of Trump's trade agenda. Annie Minoff hosts. 🎧 Listen here to The Journal podcast.
Wall Street Journal
25 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Global Markets, U.S. Futures Lower on Trade Tensions
Global stocks and U.S. futures started the new month lower after President Trump threatened to double tariffs on steel and aluminum, and trade tensions escalated between China and the U.S. Late Friday, Trump said he would increase tariffs on steel and aluminum up to 50%, starting Wednesday. The president also accused China of breaking a trade truce agreed in mid-May, which China has denied.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What we know about the suspect and victims in the Boulder, Colorado, attack
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Six people calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza were injured at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, by a man who police say used a makeshift flamethrower and hurled an incendiary device into a crowd. The FBI immediately described Sunday's violence as a 'targeted terror attack.' The suspect, identified by the FBI as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled 'Free Palestine' during the attack on the group of demonstrators, said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office. Soliman was arrested and taken to the hospital for treatment, but authorities didn't elaborate on his injuries. Here is what we know about the attack: How the attack unfolded Authorities said the attacker targeted demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run for Their Lives, which organizes run and walk events to call for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza since they were captured by militants during the incursion into southern Israel that started the Israel-Hamas war in 2023. The group had gathered at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder frequented by tourists and students. The Israel-Hamas war has inflamed global tensions and contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. A week earlier, two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot to death in Washington by a man who yelled 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. Police in Boulder evacuated multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear. The violence occurred four years after 10 people were killed a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Several people hospitalized The people hospitalized for injuries in the Pearl Street attack range in age from 67 to 88. Photos from the scene showed a woman lying on the ground in the fetal position with her hair soaked, and a man helping her and getting water from someone with a water jug. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of people being set on fire, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said, adding that injuries ranged from serious to minor. Redfearn told reporters Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed. 'It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,' he said. The suspect was arrested at the scene Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested at the scene. No charges were immediately announced, but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable.' Video from the scene showed him shirtless and wearing jeans and holding two clear bottles with a transparent liquid in them while shouting at onlookers. Another video shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on the suspect. FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the Justice Department — which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations — decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.' 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.
