Trump: Thoughts and prayers for Wade family

Donald Trump offered his condolences at a rally Saturday to the family of basketball star Dwyane Wade, whose cousin was fatally shot in Chicago on Friday. 

{mosads}The Republican presidential nominee faced backlash earlier Saturday when he tweeted about the death of Nykea Aldridge, who was caught in crossfire and shot in the head and arm while leaving a school in Chicago. 

“Dwayne [sic] Wade’s cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!” he tweeted, misspelling the athlete’s name. 

Trump, while speaking in Iowa Saturday at Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s Roast and Ride rally, attempted to tone down his earlier message — but still used it as an example of why African-Americans should vote for him. 

“More than 6,000 African-Americans are victims of murder every year,” Trump said.

“It breaks our hearts. This shouldn’t happen in America. We send our thoughts and our prayers to the family, and we also promise to fight for a better tomorrow.” 

Trump used the tragedy to again pitch himself to African-American voters, citing Abraham Lincoln and saying, “Nothing means more to me than working to make our party the home of the African-American vote once again.”

He also took another swipe at Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. 

DES MOINES —

TRUMP: “By the way, how quickly people have forgotten that Hillary Clinton called black youth super predators.”

— Kevin Cirilli (@kevcirilli) August 27, 2016

Trump has tried to broaden his appeal to minority voters in recent weeks, as his poll numbers show him struggling mightily to appeal to them.

But his message has been criticized by some as ineffective and inappropriate. 

Trump grabbed headlines last week when, in a direct plea to African-American voters, he asked what they had to lose by voting for him. 

“You’re living in poverty; your schools are no good; you have no jobs; 58 percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?” Trump said at a rally in Michigan. 

It’s a line and theme he reprised again on Saturday.