
Donald Trump has an ugly habit of dismissing and demeaning black people. Even the ones who die in service to their country.

Donald Trump is under fire for ignoring the families of soldiers killed in the line of duty after he lied and said he contacted all of them.

Of those he has ignored — or, in the case of Sgt. La David T. Johnson's family, ignored then demeaned — three of them came from black families.

Trump would not publicly acknowledge Johnson's death for 12 days, nor the other three men who died with him in Niger. When he did, according to Johnson's mother Cowanda Jones-Johnson, Trump belittled his service and said he "knew what he was getting into when he signed up."


Sgt. Johnson was black.

Specialist Etienne J. Murphy died in Syria after a vehicle rollover. He was serving as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the fight against ISIS. His mother told the Associated Press that even after she wrote to Trump and told him "some days I don't want to live," he never contacted her.

During his time in service, Murphy was awarded the Parachutist Badge, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the NATO Medal, and the Operation Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with Campaign Star. Posthumously, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.

Specialist Murphy was black.

Euvince Brooks told the Washington Post that Trump has not contacted him after his son, Sgt. Roshain E. Brooks, was killed in Iraq. When Brooks saw that Trump claimed he contacted the families of all fallen soldiers, he was angry.

"I said to my daughter, ‘Can you teach me to tweet, so I can tweet at the president and tell him he’s a liar?" He added, "You know when you hear people lying, and you want to fight? That’s the way I feel last night. He’s a damn liar."

Posthumously, Brooks was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, and Combat Action Badge.

Like Sgt. Johnson and Specialist Murphy, Sgt. Brooks was black.

During the campaign, Trump asked black Americans "what the hell do you have to lose" while trying to appeal to them for votes. His endorsement and flirtations with white supremacists quickly answered this question.

Now, his behavior while serving as commander in chief tells them and their families he won't even bother with a display of phony respect and reverence. All he has is insults and disdain, for them and their families.