Yesterday, Nykea Aldridge, a mother of four, was shot and killed in Chicago. Her death has gotten attention in the media because her cousin is NBA star and current Bulls player Dwyane Wade. Unfortunately for the Aldridge family, her death has also gotten attention from Donald Trump, who has proven again that he is a heartless, narcissistic jerk.
This morning:
As noted in Jeff Singer’s front page post, this is yet another example of Trump callously exploiting a tragedy (and doing so without having the guts to call Ms. Aldridge by name, or even to spell her cousin’s name correctly). It’s hideous.
But it’s worth thinking a little more about why Trump’s comment is so awful. To do that, let’s compare it with the response from Dwyane Wade:
My cousin was killed today in Chicago. Another act of senseless gun violence. 4 kids lost their mom for NO REASON. Unreal. #EnoughIsEnough
RIP Nykea Aldridge... #EnoughIsEnough
The city of Chicago is hurting. We need more help& more hands on deck. Not for me and my family but for the future of our world. The YOUTH!
These young kids are screaming for help!!! #EnoughIsEnough
Wade is also calling for action — but in such a different way. Trump’s tweet is focused on himself: self-congratulations and calling for people to support him. Rather than recognizing the suffering of those who are hurting, Trump uses them as props to boast about his own greatness.
Wade, instead, focuses on the people who have been lost (his cousin), the people who are still hurting (her four children), and the people who policy change could help (the youth). Not only does he not make it about himself, even though he is personally affected (unlike Trump), he explicitly says that it’s “not for me and my family” — rather, it’s about stopping the epidemic of “senseless gun violence”. It’s a selfless and caring response even at a time of great pain.
I’d say Trump could learn something from Wade about how to be a decent human being. But it becomes clearer every day that he doesn’t have that capacity.