Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Thursday that he did not like that presidential candidate Donald Trump used Wade's cousin's death "for political gain," but he was pleased with the fact that Trump's tweet brought attention to the violence in Chicago.
Last Saturday, a day after Wade's cousin, Nykea Aldridge, was hit in the head by a stray bullet and killed on Chicago's South Side while pushing her child in a stroller, Trump tweeted the following (after deleting a near-identical tweet that referred to him as "Dwayne Wade"):
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2016
"I was kind of conflicted," Wade told Stephanopoulos. "You know, it's like, on one hand, your cousin's death is used as a ploy for political gain. On the other hand, it's a national story. It goes back to that for me. I want eyes on this city. I want us to be able to do more together. And the only way we can do more together is if more people know what's going on."
August was Chicago's deadliest month in 20 years, with 90 homicides, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Also according to the Sun-Times, the city has already passed 2015's murder total.
"On the one hand I was grateful that it started a conversation 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," Wade said. "And it looks like it's being used as a political gain."
