Last Wednesday, President Trump made news again after his condolence call to the widow of a slain soldier who was killed along with three other servicemen in an ambush in Niger earlier this month. President Trump said the soldier “knew what he signed up for,” which hurt the already heartbroken widow. The soldier’s mourning mother, in turn, accused the president of disrespecting her family.

However, President Trump refuted the allegations by saying that he “didn’t say it at all and had a very nice conversation with the slain sergeant’s wife, who sounded like a lovely woman.”

President Trump seems to be someone who may not mean to come off as incredibly rude or offensive, but it just happens. 

Although embarrassing others sometimes seems to be a key part of Trump’s character, as is seen from his bullying tweets, immature behavior on such painful occasions is entirely unsympathetic and irresponsible. These comments show no understanding or empathy of what people go through after losing important ones in their life. 

President Trump lacks empathy and respect and is hardly concerned about it. 

“He has spent his life in a bubble, surrounded by hired yes men and women who have never told his inner child to grow up,” Stuart Stevens, Republican consultant, told CNN of Trump. 

For him, being president has always been about competing with others and reasserting America’s position at the top. But, as president, he must have some sense of empathy with the people whom he governs, especially the families of those who are killed while protecting our country.

This is not the first time that President Trump has disrespected a grieving military family. He has demonstrated this apathetic behavior repeatedly even before becoming president. Last year, he attacked the family of Humayun Khan, an army lieutenant who died in Iraq in 2004.

More recently, his equivocating reaction to Charlottesville violence, insulting behavior while visiting disaster areas impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and use of abusive language for kneeling NFL players all demonstrate his inability to feel the pain of troubled people.

Effective leaders who posses empathy can listen, understand, feel, recognize, analyze and share other’s emotions and build trusting relationships.

Wars and natural catastrophes pose special challenges to governments and especially their political leaders. In both cases, political leaders can do little more by means of motivating and showing empathy. Their words enriched with consolation and inspiration can warm the nation’s blood to stand strong and united in any havoc and bounce back no matter how bad the situation is.

Grieving families need a shoulder to cry on and helping hands to stay strong during the moments of great sadness rather than being reminded of what they’ve lost. However, Trump hasn’t been gifted with the virtue of empathy, but while being president he must show some to share the pain of grieving families and to reassure them that better days will come.