People are not happy Donald Trump is politicizing Edwin Jackson’s death
By Josh Hill
Donald Trump is politicizing the death of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, who was killed on Sunday.
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson was killed over the weekend in a car accident. Early reports indicated that the cause of the crash was a drunk driver, and since then tributes have been pouring in from current and former teammates. Jackson wasn’t a superstar name in the NFL, but he was on the rise.
His impact was felt both on the field and off, where he was a helping hand in the community and the charitable efforts of the Colts. His death has shocked everyone that knew him and held him dear in their hearts.
That’s why Donald Trump commenting on his death for the purpose of pushing an anti-immigration agenda is rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning that the person responsible for killing Jackson was an illegal immigrant, and used it to his political advantage.
So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed @Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson. This is just one of many such preventable tragedies. We must get the Dems to get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018
Using a tragedy for political gain isn’t a new concept that Trump thought of on his own. Plenty of politicians have used this tactic to push their own agendas. It’s a time-honored tradition to some.
Trump being the most polarizing president in the history of American politics is why this is heightened above other examples.
As is usually the case whenever Trump says something on Twitter, there were plenty of people lined up to tell him off.
He was killed by an illegal immigrants. So Trump has use for him to rile his base. We are now suppose to believe he cares about this SOB that he wanted to lose his job if he even thought about kneeling.
— Shay (@Mzhy_99) February 6, 2018
Trump wouldn't have tweeted a damn thing about that @Colts player if he wasn't killed by a foreigner. He'd still just be one of those NFL "sons of bitches." So disingenuous it's gross.
— svengali (@Wasted_Inkk) February 6, 2018
He was killed by an illegal immigrants. So Trump has use for him to rile his base. We are now suppose to believe he cares about this SOB that he wanted to lose his job if he even thought about kneeling.
— Shay (@Mzhy_99) February 6, 2018
Imagine the conflict in Trump's head if Jackson had been one who knelt during the National Anthem. His head might have exploded.
— FowlFoul (@FowlFoul) February 6, 2018
One thing that is lost in all of this is Jackson himself. Blowhards on either side of the aisle will bicker back and forth about this issue but in doing so will glaze over the fact that Jackson was a family member, teammate, and a friend to so many in his community.
That’s often the forgotten tragedy of these types of events being politicized. It has stopped being a young man whose life was cut short and become a shouting match about something else entirely.