WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has struck yet another nerve with remarks over the father of a fallen Pakistan-origin Muslim American soldier. Trump said Army Capt Humayun Khan has "sacrificed nothing" for the country, and mocked his mother keeping silent at the Democratic National Convention last week, where Khizr Khan gave an impassioned speech.
Drawing sharp criticism from all sides, including his own party, Trump displayed his ignorance at best when he questioned whether Khan's wife was even "allowed" to speak. People threw dirt at him for attacking a mourning mother, and making racist and anti-Muslim comments. In an interview, Trump said, "Who wrote that? Did Hillary's scriptwriters write it? I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard."
Khizr Khan gave a moving tribute to his son at the DNC, as he posthumously received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart after being killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004. His speech directly confronted Trump, where he asked the businessman to "go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You have sacrificed nothing and no one." Trump responded by saying, "I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. Sure those are sacrifices. I think my popularity with the vets is through the roof."
Some very appalled Republicans openly opposed his tactic, including Ohio Governor John Kasich, who tweeted, "There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honour and respect."
