On August 26, Nykea Aldridge, the cousin of Dwyane Wade, was fatally shot in Chicago while pushing a stroller in the Parkway Gardens neighborhood. On August 27, presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted, “Dwyane Wade’s cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!”
The tweet left a bad taste in the mouth of many Americans — and Wade himself is one of those who wasn’t particularly happy with the message from the Republican nominee. In an exclusive interview with Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos, Wade spoke out about Trump’s tweet publicly for the first time.
“I was grateful that it started a conversation,” Wade began in the sit-down with GMA. “But on the other hand, it just left a bad taste in my mouth because of what my family is dealing with and what our city of Chicago is dealing with, and it looks like it’s being used as political gain.”
Tweeting for shock value isn’t a new strategy for the Trump team — he’s taken advantage of invoking politicians, celebrities and natural disasters for political gain, using a murder and the name of an NBA star isn’t surprising, despite how low of a ploy it is.
Aldridge was a mother of four and not the intended target of the gun violence. A pair of brothers, both identified as gang members in Chicago, have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder for her death.
For Wade, he doesn’t just want justice for his cousin, but for the country to have a heightened awareness of what’s going on in his city. “I want eyes on the city,” said Wade. “I want us to do more together — and the only way for us to do more together is if everyone knows what’s going on.”
ABC News will televise the full interview on September 2.
(ABC News)
