Khan spoke at the DNC last week about his son, a U.S. Army captain who was killed in Iraq in 2004.
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Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s candidate for the White House, is drawing criticism left and right over his offensive remarks against the Muslim Pakistani parents of a slain United States soldier, with many analysts and political pundits saying the real-estate tycoon has gone too far with his belligerent and aggressive attitude this time. Trump has responded by insisting he had made sacrifices and questioning why Ghazala Khan did not speak on stage, which she later said was because she was too bereaved.
Statements from vulnerable Republican senators and House members up for re-election denounced Trump’s tough language directed at the Khans, and honored them for their sacrifice for the nation’s security.
In an interview to CNN, Senator Jeff Session who was among the first few top Republican leaders to endorse Trump said that he “rejects” and is “disappointed” over the remarks made by the billionaire from NY against Khan.
At last week’s Democratic National Convention, Khizr Kahn lashed out at Trump, who has in the past called for a ban on Muslim immigration.
The mogul’s sustained hostility toward the couple – alarming partly because criticism of Gold Star families has traditionally been off-limits in American political discourse – incensed Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war once mocked by Trump for being captured in Vietnam. “Just as Donald Trump must apologize for his un-American remarks, Republican Party leaders must finally repudiate their candidate’s divisive rhetoric”.
Speaking to “This Week”, Trump responded to Khan’s challenge that he has sacrified nothing in his life.
Trump’s campaign later issued a statement calling Capt. Khan a hero but said Khizr Khan had no right to intimate Trump hasn’t read the Constitution. None of the three, however, pulled their endorsement of Trump.
As the blowback to Donald Trump’s public feud with a Gold Star family escalated Monday, the GOP nominee’s campaign sent out talking points to congressional supporters urging them to come to his defense. “That’s what I said!”
However, the edition held up by Khizr Khan during his speech is not the same as the hot seller at Amazon but one published by the National Center for Constitutional Studies.
Ryan was not available for an interview Tuesday, but a spokesman said in a statement, “Rather than engage in a back-and-forth, the speaker is going to remain focused entirely on ensuring we deliver strong Republican majorities this fall”.
That support includes a social media campaign led by Monday, urging Muslim women to speak out against Trump’s remarks about Ghazala Khan using the hashtag #CanYouHearUsNow.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said in a statement: “There used to be some things that were sacred in American politics-that you don’t do-like criticizing the parents of a fallen soldier even if they criticize you”.
“Mr Khan paid the ultimate sacrifice in his family, didn’t he?” she told the African American congregation.
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Trump disputed that. He said Saturday on ABC’s “This Week” that he had given up a lot for his businesses. “I’d like to hear his wife say something”, Trump told the New York Times.
