Khan’s son, Army Captain Humayun Khan, was a U.S. Muslim soldier who was killed by a vehicle bomb in Iraq in 2004 at age 27. “He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States – to say nothing of entering its service”, McCain said in a statement released by his office.
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McCain, whose heroism as a former prisoner of war Trump once put down, stopped short of withdrawing his endorsement of the Republican nominee, but said he could not “emphasize enough how strongly I disagree with his statement”. Few have specifically condemned Trump, whose proposal to temporarily ban Muslim immigration to the US was at the heart of Khizr Khan’s speech.
Khzir Khan, Father of fallen Muslim-American soldier, says, “Have you even read the constitution?”
In an interview with ABC, Trump said Khan was “very emotional and probably looked like a nice guy to me”. He also insinuated that Ghazala “wasn’t allowed” to speak because of her religion.
Noting he’d sat and grieved with families of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama said he’s specifically asked for a Gold Star mother – Sharon Belkofer – to introduce him ahead of his remarks at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last week.
“Captain Humayun Khan and all the Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country deserve our deepest respect and gratitude”, Johnson said. “Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future”. “I’ve gone to too many funerals, met too many families”.
Ghazala Khan had a lot to say about that.
Those remarks drew rebukes from at least five Republican senators on Monday, including John McCain of Arizona.
A rising number of Republicans are criticizing Trump, much as they did earlier this summer when he questioned whether Judge Gonzalo Curiel could fairly preside over a lawsuit involving Trump University due to his “Mexican heritage”.
In his statement, Blunt, who was exempted from the Vietnam draft three times because he was a student, referred to his own son Matt’s stint as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
Byrne pointed out that while Trump has softened his anti-Muslim stance recently, this situation is likely to put the issue back into the spotlight.
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Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri also criticized Trump on Monday, saying he should “focus on jobs and national security and stop responding to every criticism, whether it’s from a grieving family or Hillary Clinton”.
