Top Republican leaders are still supporting Donald Trump for President despite his grotesque attacks on the parents of a fallen US soldier killed in Iraq.
“If you look at his wife, she was standing there,” Trump said over the weekend about Mrs. Ghazala Khan, mother of Captain Humayun Khan. “She had nothing to say… Maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.”
In a powerful op-ed, Mrs. Khan explained that she did not speak about her son onstage at the Democratic National Convention last week because she remains too overwhelmed by grief.
“I cannot walk into a room with pictures of Humayun,” she wrote. “For all these years, I haven’t been able to clean the closet where his things are — I had to ask my daughter-in-law to do it.”
While a host of notable Republicans have issued statements condemning Trump’s attack on a military family, apparently none are outraged enough to go the necessary step further and rescind their support for his candidacy.
Speaker Paul Ryan said that Khan’s “sacrifice—and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan—should always be honored. Period.”
But not only does Speaker Ryan continue to support Donald Trump for President, the statement fails to even mention Donald Trump by name.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also fails to mention Donald Trump by name, writing that “all Americans should value the patriotic service of the patriots who volunteer to selflessly defend us in the armed services.”
But Sen. McConnell still supports Donald Trump for President.
Arizona Sen. John McCain — himself targeted over his military service by the Presidential nominee — does call out Trump by name, saying the he “cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement.”
Yet Sen. McCain continues to remain in support of Donald Trump for President.
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte wrote that she was “appalled that Donald Trump would disparage them” and that Trump “had the gall to compare his own sacrifices to those of a Gold Star family.”
Yet Sen. Ayotte continues to remain in support of Donald Trump for President.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said her “heart” and “never-ending thanks go out to the Khan family,” adding that they should be free to express themselves “in the political process and should not face criticism for it.”
Yet like Speaker Ryan and Sen. McConnell, Gov. Haley neglects to address Trump directly or even mention his name. And like the above Republicans, Gov. Haley continues to remain in support of Donald Trump for President.
“This shouldn’t be hard,” Democratic Sen. Harry Reid said in a strong rebuke of both Donald Trump and those still supporting his candidacy despite his attacks on the Khan family and others since the launch of his campaign more than a year ago.
“Donald Trump is a sexist and racist man who insults Gold Star parents, stokes fear of Muslims and sows hatred of Latinos. He should not be president and Republican leaders have a moral responsibility to say so.”
As Frank Sharry said in a statement earlier today, “This is a moment of truth for every Republican politician who stands with Donald Trump. If you do not rescind your support now, you will be defined for the rest of your life as someone who chose party over patriotism.”
“What more do Trump’s fellow Republicans need to hear from their nominee that would get them to rescind their support?”
