As a parent and as the son of a World War II veteran, count me among those horribly offended by Donald Trump’s recent comments targeting the family of Army Captain Humayun Khan. Capt. Khan’s family paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation – losing their son in service to our country in Iraq in 2004.
Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare. Nothing can be worse. I regularly pray for the families of those now serving in places like Afghanistan and Iraq and wonder how they manage to get any sleep at night knowing that their son or daughter is in harm’s way and wondering what fate awaits them every day.
As a legislator, I have witnessed some incredibly emotional moments – the painful moments of the last goodbye at a military funeral, the haunting melody and symbolism as a bugler plays “Taps” and an American flag folded and then held tightly by a wife, husband, parent, or child. I have sat with Gold Star families over dinner, heard their stories, and felt their grief.
There are many Gold Star families in Texas’ 23rd District. I join the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Republican Sen. John McCain, and countless others in defending these families and stating that Donald Trump’s comments about the parents of an American hero were totally inappropriate and way out of line. Mr. Trump’s comments were low – even for him.
I am shocked that, as a parent, Mr. Trump would denigrate and disrespect the searing pain that must accompany the loss of a child, and he doesn’t understand the gratitude and debt all of us have to the families of our fallen military men and women. Their sacrifices, in conflicts throughout 240 years of the American experience, have enabled our country to emerge as the most successful democracy in the history of the world.
I also am shocked that Mr. Trump followed up his initial insults by claiming that he, too, had “made a lot of sacrifices” in his life. By likening his life experiences to those of a family who has lost a loved one in combat, Mr. Trump further damages his own brand and that of the political party he represents.
My father was part of the “Greatest Generation.” He fought in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. He sacrificed much and saw things that changed him, things that even decades later, he still could not talk about. What would my father say about comparing Mr. Trump’s business ventures to the sacrifice of a young man’s life in defense of our nation? That is not hard to imagine.
There is a saying in Spanish that translates loosely to “nothing bad ever happens that something good doesn’t come out of.” Our country has been very polarized. It is good, then, to see men and women from the right and left, Republicans and Democrats of all faiths, ethnicities, and persuasions, come together to denounce Mr. Trump’s views. It is good to know that there are still parts of our national conversation where no divide exists and common decency still reigns.
It is also good that people across the political spectrum are now engaging in a conversation that must be had, a conversation that deepens our national awareness of the challenges and obstacles facing our service members and their loved ones day in and day out.
When speaking of our armed services, veterans, and families – regardless of party affiliation – we as Americans must hold ourselves to a higher standard. We must recognize that those who step up to the plate deserve more than just gratitude and respect. Despite any budget crisis, they deserve to be first in line.
Lashing out against the family of a fallen hero on Twitter is unbecoming of any leader. Insulting a former prisoner of war like Sen. John McCain is unbecoming of any leader. Ironically, Mr. Trump seeks to be not just a leader, but the leader of the entire free world. How can he not put aside his pride and recognize the huge mistake he’s made?
Americans, and particularly Texans in Congressional District 23, deserve better. They deserve leaders with the courage and conviction to call out ignorance and bigotry. They deserve a leader who lifts his or her voice in defense of our sons and daughters, not one who uses his voice to criticize our own, or one who sits idly and silently by as our sons and daughters are disparaged.
I often tell others that the only part of politics I don’t like is the “political” part. If there is a positive result from this national discussion, I hope it is that the American people elect leaders who value patriotism and public policy above their party and politics.
Nothing less than our future and that of our children is at stake in this election. Let us pray that, like the “Greatest Generation,” we, too, are up to the task.
Top image: Khizr Khan, father of deceased U.S. Army Capt. Humayun S. M. Khan, waves as he delivers remarks along with his wife Ghazala Khan on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 28, 2016 in Philadelphia. Photo by Joe Raedle for Getty Images.
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What exactly did he say?
Per the transcript of the interview from ABC News:
STEPHANOPOULOS: I don’t know if you saw the speech, but there’s man named Khizr Khan, speaking at the Democratic convention last night. His son, Captain Humayun Khan, was killed serving in Iraq, and he had some very tough questions for you. He said you wouldn’t have let his son in America.
TRUMP: He doesn’t know — he doesn’t know that.
I saw him. He was, you know, very emotional. And probably looked like — a nice guy to me. His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably — maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me, but plenty of people have written that.
She was extremely quiet and looked like she had nothing to say. A lot of people have said that.
And personally, I watched him. I wish him the best of luck, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: What would you say to the father?
TRUMP: Well, I would say, we have had a lot of problems with radical Islamic terrorism, that’s what I’d say. We have had a lot of problems where you look at San Bernardino, you look at Orlando, you look at the World Trade Center, you look at so many different things. You look at what happened to the priest over the weekend in Paris, where his throat was cut, 85-year-old, beloved Catholic priest. You look at what happened in Nice, France, a couple of weeks ago.
I would say, you gotta take a look that, because something is going on, and it’s not good.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He said you have sacrificed nothing and no one.
TRUMP: Well, that sounds — who wrote that? Did Hillary’s script writer write it? Because everybody that went out there — we also had John Allen, who failed with ISIS. I mean, he was a general — General Allen — he went out, and he’s ranting and raving. And then I read a report. He was in there for a number of months, and he failed with ISIS. And he’s telling me, you know.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You saw Hillary say it last night, you don’t know more than the generals.
TRUMP: Well, I tell you, the generals aren’t doing so well right now.
Now, I have a feeling it may be Obama’s fault. But if you look at ISIS, General MacArthur, and General Patton, they’re spinning in their graves. The generals certainly aren’t doing very well right now. And General Allen, after I saw he was on ranting and raving about me, who he never met, I checked up. Guess what? They were not so happy with him. He didn’t beat ISIS. He didn’t beat ISIS. He didn’t do well with ISIS.
STEPHANOPOULOS: How would you answer that father? What sacrifice have you made for your country?
TRUMP: I think I have made a lot of sacrifices. I’ve work very, very hard. I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I’ve done — I’ve had tremendous success.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Those are sacrifices?
TRUMP: Oh, sure. I think they’re sacrifices.
I think when I can employ thousands and thousands of people, take care of their education, take care of so many things. Even in the military, I mean, I was responsible along with a group of people for getting the Vietnam Memorial built in downtown Manhattan, which to this day people thank me for.
I’ve raised millions of dollars for the vets. I’m helping the vets a lot. I think my popularity with the vets is through the roof, far greater than hers. She’s done nothing, all she’s done is tell everybody that the vets are in good shape. They’re fine. And they’re not fine. People are waiting in line for seven days to see a doctor.
No Trump supporter here, but, meh, you volunteer or willingly interject yourself into the political arena, you’re gonna be treated politically. The Benghazi mom—Smith or something—who spoke at the GOP convention the week before was instantly but inconclusively “fact-checked” by several media outlets.
Was that in poor taste or did that denigrate her dead son’s memory? No, she put herself out there.
At least Trump can’t be blamed for having a direct role in the conflicts that led to Khan’s son’s and the Benghazi lady’s son’s death.
Absolutely, and I’m sure they were warned to expect that. But it does not open them up to ad hominem attacks from Mr. Trump. To imply that Mrs. Khan didn’t speak on stage at the DNC because of their Muslim beliefs is a bigoted misunderstanding of Islam. To compare losing a son in war to building towers with your name on them as equivalent sacrifices shows a callous disrespect for military families. The way that he and his surrogates attacked Mr. Khan as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and his son as an al-Qaeda double agent is reprehensible and false.
And the way that Trump has continued to escalate this conflict with the Khans demonstrates a lack of self-control that I believe disqualifies him from having access to the nuclear arsenal.
We cannot allow Trump’s extreme rhetoric to become normalized.