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Muslim father of slain soldier battles Trump

There is no winning battle against Gold Star families, because the sacrifices that they have made are unimaginable, and because of the respect that they have (and deserve) from Americans (just look at the high-profile speaking slots given to veterans who do not hold political office in both parties’ conventions).

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Khan and his wife, Ghazala, had politicized the issue by appearing at the Democrats’ convention, Sam Clovis of Trump’s campaign told CNN.

She says she chose not to speak because she was too overcome with emotion.

Donald Trump’s confrontation with the parents of a slain Muslim American soldier escalated Monday, shaking the U.S. presidential campaign amid Republican Party outcries over the real estate tycoon’s comments about the couple. “I work very, very hard”, he said. “I hope Americans understand”, McCain continued, “that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates”. “I can not emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement”, McCain said.

However, Gumshoos’ similarity to Donald Trump is uncanny.

In a remarks to television networks on Monday, Khizr Khan said Trump lacked the empathy to be a leader and chided him for throwing the first salvo in their exchange.

House Speaker Paul Ryan also said he rejects such a religious test.

But the Wisconsin stop also comes as Republicans in the state who have supported Trump once again find themselves backing away from comments he made.

On Sunday, Democratic rival Hillary Clinton said Trump had scapegoated the parents.

Oliver called Trump insensitive, criticizing him for suggesting Khan’s wife, who has stood silently beside her husband during his speech, was not allowed to speak.

In a similar statement, Ryan said, “America’s greatness is built on the principles of liberty and preserved by the men and women who wear the uniform to defend it”.

For the second time in a week, Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, issued a statement that appeared created to put some space between the two men atop the GOP ticket.

Ghazala Khan wrote in Sunday’s Washington Post that she did not speak because talking about her son’s death remains hard.

In interviews Sunday, Khan thanked Trump for calling his son a hero, but said Trump is being “disingenuous” because of his campaign rhetoric. “You have sacrificed nothing and no one”.

During the speech, Khan’s wife, Ghazala, stood quietly by his side. “Am I not allowed to respond?” he tweeted. “It’s going to be something that GOP leaders are going to have to answer for”, he said. “If it was up to Donald Trump, [Humayun] never would have been in America”, Khan said, referring to Trump’s proposed Muslim plan.

That’s despite a Sunday night statement issued by Trump’s running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, that sought to paint a more conciliatory picture, saying, “Donald Trump and I believe that Captain Humayun Khan is an American hero and his family, like all Gold Star families, should be cherished by every American”.

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“Every day, whenever I pray, I have to pray for him, and I cry”, she wrote in The Washington Post.

Ghazala and Khizr Khan at the Democratic National Convention