‘Morally deficient and incapable of empathy’
The father of an American Muslim killed in the US military in Iraq stunned the Democratic convention on Thursday night with a powerful challenge to Donald Trump, who he said had “sacrificed nothing and no one”.
Appearing on stage in Philadelphia alongside his wife, Ghazala, Khizr Khan paid tribute to his late son, Cpt Humayun Khan, describing his family as “patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to our country”.
Of his son, killed in 2004 by a car bomb after protecting his soldiers by ordering them to drop to the ground while he took 10 steps forward, Khan said: “If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America.
“Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country.”
Addressing Trump directly, Khan, a Harvard educated lawyer, told him: “Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy.”
Producing a pocket edition of the US constitution to huge cheers from the crowd, he added: “In this document, look for the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of law’.”
Trump's first response was in an interview with the New York Times opinion writer Maureen Dowd. His only comment was: “I’d like to hear his wife say something.”
The Republican nominee subsequently gave an interview with ABC, in which he suggested that Hillary Clinton’s speechwriters scripted Khan’s speech, which Khan has said he wrote with his wife, Ghazala Khan.
“If you look at his wife, she was standing there,” Trump said. “She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.”
In a statement released later on Saturday, Trump then praised Mr Khan’s son, who was killed serving in Iraq.“Captain Humayun Khan was a hero to our country and we should honor all who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe,” the statement said. But Trump's statement was too little and too late. Both Democrats and Republicans came forward with blistering criticism.
Has Donald Trump's criticism of the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq caused a seismic disruption in the presidential race? Trump's attack on ABC News -- and series of confounding clarifications -- is far from Trump's first foray into seemingly unredeemable rhetoric (even involving veterans). About a year ago, the then-candidate questioned and mocked Senator John McCain’s heroism and capture in the Vietnam War. But McCain has since come to endorse Trump, and attacking Gold Star parents isn't exactly going to translate into support from the military or anyone who may already have doubts about the temperament of the Republican nominee. It is a well-worn sentiment that Trump can survive controversies that would destroy most normal politicians, but this does not seem like a "normal" controversy. How damaging could the Khan flaps be for Trump's campaign? Is his loose language and off-the-cuff approach to politics finally catching up with him? For his part, McCain has joined the growing list of prominent Republicans repudiating Trump's comment. although not all of them are renouncing Trump himself, what implications will their reactions have on November and the party going forward?
Overshadowing Trump's comments about the Khan family were his remarks about his relationship to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimea. Add to that Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's history with Ukraine, and the flap has many reexamining Trump's possible Russia ties and already questionable foreign policy chops. Trump tried to clean up his comments, but how big of a problem is Russia going to be for Trump?
Then there is the matter of the Republican nominee's position on the fall debate schedule. Team Trump is now pushing to reschedule at least two of the debates that are slated to air on the same nights as NFL games. During that same ABC interview, Trump said that the NFL sent him a letter complaining about the scheduling conflict. The league later denied Trump's claim, and the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates is standing firm on its plans. So what game is Trump trying to play here? Is there a chance, he may not participate in all the debates?