There can be few things worse than having your father unexpectedly die, but in a classic case of having salt brutally rubbed into the wound, Donald Trump found a way. On May 19, Trump hosted a White House ceremony to award “Medals of Sacrifice” to the families of three officers killed in the line of duty.
One of those was Deputy Sheriff Ignacio Diaz, who was killed while on motorcycle patrol last year in Palm Beach, Florida. Diaz’s daughter, Alexandria, was pressed into service to accept the medal on behalf of her father, and clearly hated every minute of it, looking stone-faced as Trump expounds on her much-missed father.
Her response
Just imagine what it must feel like being forced to meet Donald Trump, a man found to have committed sexual abuse, who’s currently tearing apart the Constitution and acting like a tinpot dictator. Images of Alexandria looking exceedingly miserable went viral, so imagine how that feels. Fortunately, we don’t have to imagine, as Alexandria spelled out exactly what the experience felt like in a TikTok video:
“So this is actually my worst nightmare to go viral. … To cover some points. Not a cop, not a Republican. I received that medal because my dad died in the line of duty along with two other officers alongside him last year in Palm Beach. It was a huge news story, which is why Trump was so involved because it was in Palm Beach. And um, yeah. Free Palestine.”
As you’d expect, responses were split down the political spectrum. MAGA was spitting mad that someone could ever be miserable meeting Donald Trump, arguing that she’s disrespected her father by not plastering a fake smile on her face and making nice with him. But far more were sympathetic, saying “he made my skin crawl when he touched you”, praising Diaz for the way she stood her ground, and pointing out that Trump was determined to “use your tragedy as a photo op”.
Diaz clearly wants to lead a quiet life and not be wrapped up in any controversy, so let’s hope her brief moment in the spotlight fades as soon as possible. Even so, getting through this with her dignity intact is a lesson for anyone who has to get through a deeply uncomfortable and high-profile experience. Here’s hoping we can learn some lessons from her refusing to back down, even when dragged into the White House and faced with Trump himself.
