Four sergeants of the U.S. military were killed in an ambush in Niger earlier this month on Oct. 4 after helping local forces defeat ISIS. Sgt. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson and Sgt. Dustin Wright are the names of the troops who died, while two other troops were injured in battle. 

The president of the U.S. is known to be one of the first to console the families of fallen troops — usually by phone call. As commander in chief, the president has a commitment to honor these troops and their families in an empathetic, professional and timely manner. Unfortunately, our current president, Donald Trump, took his time when it came to paying his respects for these troops, taking nearly two weeks to even mention their deaths or get in touch with their families.

The unusually long time landed the president in hot water with critics and he eventually did contact these families, according to The Washington Post. Afterward, though, the president found himself on the hot seat once again for his lackluster phone calls, especially in the case of his interactions with the family of the late Sgt. La David Johnson, according to The Washington Post.

Sgt. La David Johnson met his wife, Myeshia Johnson, at the age of 6 and the two married years later, according to USA Today. David and Myeshia then started a family together and had two children before David’s death. Those children are now 2 and 6, and Myeshia is six months pregnant with the couple’s third child. All of these children will have to grow up without their father. 

It is unfortunate how La David Johnson’s death was overlooked by the president as if his life did not matter because it mattered to his grieving wife and children. The phone call that left Myeshia Johnson in tears showcased the president saying that Sgt. La David Johnson “knew what he was signing up for,” according to Slate.

First of all, where is the compassion that she deserves? She lost her husband and is pregnant with their third child. That is all he had to say to a grieving widow? I know as people we are supposed to taper our expectations, but who wouldn’t expect our commander in chief to at least have a soft spot for the military? President Trump failed to show any empathy or even an ounce of compassion to Myeshia and the fact that he ridiculed former President Barack Obama for failing to call grieving families, shows how much of an immature liar he is. 

Even if what Trump said about Obama was true, what do his actions have to do with what Trump is supposed to do for our fallen soldiers? What matters is Trump showing Myeshia Johnson some compassion and Sgt. La David Johnson some respect, but he failed them both. He failed his country by not doing his job accordingly, which shows that his job should be about more than just politics when it comes to honoring the lives of fallen soldiers. It should be about showing respect. 

Fallen soldiers of color are often overlooked, and Trump’s actions — or lack thereof — look pretty bad when examined in context with his ongoing battle with NFL players. Trump is disrespecting the military in this scenario more than anyone who takes a knee during the national anthem (not that these demonstrations were disrespectful to begin with). It is a total double standard, and shows just how much of a role race actually plays in the outrage surrounding these protests and, more generally, the actions — or lack thereof — of President Trump. The national anthem doesn’t honor people of color and Trump coincidentally failed to properly honor La David Johnson, his wife and children who are all people of color. 

Instead of President Trump stepping on Myeshia’s already broken heart, he needs to do what he signed up for and stop the shenanigans that are causing people pain and suffering. Remember to #SayHisName when it comes to La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson and Sgt. Dustin Wright.

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