Trump responds to Khan parents DNC speech megathread

[NeverAgain]

He's right, her husband probably told her she couldn't. I thought that when I saw her

She stated in an interview with TLW w/ Lawrence O'Donnell that she "couldn't keep her composure whenever she saw [her son]" especially when the giant picture of him was behind her. She is articulate, intelligent, and can speak on her own. She debated even coming on stage because of that.

Therefore I ask the question again, would anyone ever say that about a White Christian mother who lost her son and decided not to speak to the entire American public? God forbid.

Yup. But don't expect Classic Conservative to apologize for his crass comment. And don't expect him to ever sacrifice his life or volunteer to fight for his country.

I'd be more than willing to lend him my constitution, though.

[Podgy the Bear]

More evidence that there is simply a right and wrong choice this election. There is no excuse for this. There is no excuse for defending it, either.

Bingo.

This isn't about Democrat vs Republican or Left vs Right. This just common decency vs assholery.

Which is why I believe the Democratic base is fired up.  And independents and (hopefully) Bush and Kasich Republicans will come over to Hillary.  The Trump takeover of the Republican Party is a disaster for this country.

[Wells]

Whenever Trump is angry at somebody, he says something stupid attacking that person and presses buttons on the keyboard writing angry tweets. If he becomes president, maybe he'll be pushing different buttons and doing stupid things when he's angry.

[Mehmentum]

Not only does this make him look like a petty jerk, but it draws attention to the Kahns' story and the speech at the convention.  Needless to say, this is a horrible move for Trump.

[Xing]

Trump has no class. Really? Attacking a grieving mother? How can anyone defend this?

[/]

He's right, her husband probably told her she couldn't. I thought that when I saw her

You have to be kidding me. WTF

[Wells]

Not only does this make him look like a petty jerk, but it draws attention to the Kahns' story and the speech at the convention.  Needless to say, this is a horrible move for Trump.

It's almost like he's a Democratic plant.

[Antonio the Sixth]

More evidence that there is simply a right and wrong choice this election. There is no excuse for this. There is no excuse for defending it, either.

[SATW]

I had this very argument with family yesterday and I'm honestly appalled that some people are living in some bizarro world where its ok to paint people with one brush.


Their son died a hero, like many others before him and sadly, likely, many others after him. You don't have to like his parents' speech but to attack them and to attack their son and to attack any of these people personally is morally disgusting. If you love this country and if you love our military than you must honor all of our heroes and their families.

I am very hardline on fighting radicalization and on fighting radical Islam but you cannot let yourself become crazy in the process of fighting terrorism.


If you truly believe every Muslim is a terrorist...you need to reevaluate yourself and your views because you are dead wrong.

Living in a black and white world on almost any issue is dangerous and ridiculous. That being said, the Muslim community indeed has a radicalization problem and it must be addressed.


Of course, there was a reason the DNC brought this family on, just like the RNC had a reason to bring out the family members of the Benghazi attack victims. Politics takes good people and uses them as props. Its a nasty business, but we all, on this forum, should be used to political tricks like this, from both sides already.

[Wells]

At least he didn't say that he would hit her so hard her head would spin and she wouldn't know what the hell happened. (Though he did say there was more than one DNC speaker he wanted to hit. So. . . )

[Sorenroy]

Please don't merge this with the other thread specifically on his wife. I know it's the same interview, but this encompasses more. I couldn't find the transcript so I made it myself.


Interview between Donald Trump and George Stephanopoulos on ABC News:


George Stephanopoulos — There was a man named Khizr Khan speaking at the Democratic Convention... his son, Captain Humayun Khan, was killed serving in Iraq and he has some very tough questions for you. He said you wouldn't have even let his son in America... [cut off]


Donald Trump — He doesn't know, he doesn't know that. I saw him, he was, you know, very emotional and probably looked like, uh, a nice guy to me. His wife, uh, 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. Uh, she, uh, she was extremely quiet and it looked like she had nothing to say. A lot of people have said that, uh, and personally, uh, I watched him, I wish him the best of luck George.


George Stephanopoulos — What would you say to that father?


Donald Trump — Well, I'd say we've had a lot of problems with Radical Islamic Terrorism, that's what I'd say. We have a lot of problems where, you look at San Bernadino; you look at Orlando; you look at the World Trade enter; 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 Niece, France, a couple of weeks ago. Uh, I'd say, you gotta take a look at that, because something's going on and it's not good.


George Stephanopoulos — He said you've sacrificed nothing and no one.


Donald Trump — Well, that sounds, uh, who wrote that? Did, uh, Hillary's, uh, script writers write it?


George Stephanopoulos — How would you answer that father? What sacrifice have you made for your country?


Donald Trump — I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. Uh, I worked very, very hard, I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs. Uh, I think I've done a lot.


George Stephanopoulos — Those are sacrifices?


Donald 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 military, I mean, I was very responsible, along with a group of people for getting the Vietnam memorial built in downtown Manhattan, which, to this day, people thank me for. Uh, I raised, and I have 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.


So in a single interview, Trump said that he would let the Khans into the country (false if he ban Muslims from entering the country), accuse Khizr Khan of silencing his wife (his wife said she didn't want to speak 'cause she gets emotional when she talks about her son's death), tell Khan that Islamic Terrorism is a big issue if he got to meet him, and say that he has sacrificed for the country because he has made jobs. Well done. I hope this wonderful man becomes president.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

It's truly frightening there are so many people, on this very forum including, that will overlook or defend everything Trump says or does.

[Gustaf]

I had this very argument with family yesterday and I'm honestly appalled that some people are living in some bizarro world where its ok to paint people with one brush.


Their son died a hero, like many others before him and sadly, likely, many others after him. You don't have to like his parents' speech but to attack them and to attack their son and to attack any of these people personally is morally disgusting. If you love this country and if you love our military than you must honor all of our heroes and their families.

I am very hardline on fighting radicalization and on fighting radical Islam but you cannot let yourself become crazy in the process of fighting terrorism.


If you truly believe every Muslim is a terrorist...you need to reevaluate yourself and your views because you are dead wrong.

Living in a black and white world on almost any issue is dangerous and ridiculous. That being said, the Muslim community indeed has a radicalization problem and it must be addressed.


Of course, there was a reason the DNC brought this family on, just like the RNC had a reason to bring out the family members of the Benghazi attack victims. Politics takes good people and uses them as props. Its a nasty business, but we all, on this forum, should be used to political tricks like this, from both sides already.

I broadly agree with what you're saying.

To me the big difference between this couple and the Benghazi mother (apart from the Benghazi story's link to Clinton being more of a conspiracy theory) is that the Benghazi woman was clearly not mentally well. She was being personally exploited in the sense that you could sort of tell she wasn't really in full control of her environment and her life.

By contrast, the Khans were very dignified and poised. These are people who choose to overcome their grief and speak up about their son's memory because they as citizens deemed it important. I get that people can bring partisan biases into judging these things but I found some of the RNC speakers just very cringey for this reason.

[Fuzzy Bear]

He's right, her husband probably told her she couldn't. I thought that when I saw her

I can't imagine having the level of hate in my heart like you have.

The next time I hear such a comment from a liberal commenting about a conservative Christian expounding on something while his wife just stands silently won't be the first.  Of course, it's not "hate" when a conservative Christian is the target of such a comment, it's just "pointing out the obvious".  There is a right and wrong, but there is also a double standard here amongst some, and some who will deny this are just flat-out intellectually dishonest.  And there is, very much, a sharp differentiation on the issue of the status of women between Muslims (even American Muslims) and it is interesting that liberal Democrats rake conservative Christians over the coals on this issue, but provide deafening silence when the issue of the status of American Muslim women is mentioned.

I have empathy for Mr. and Mrs. Khan.  They are Gold Star Parents, and Trump might have done better to have focused more on that.  They deserve honor for being Gold Star Parents, and that honor is a bittersweet honor, to say the least.  But they did voluntarily use their status as Gold Star Parents in a purely political venue to take Trump to task, and about "the Constitution" no less.  When you do that, you waive a degree of deference you might get otherwise.  And when you comment on substantive matters in that venue, your comments are subject to analysis and criticism.

As to the Constitution, the Khans are flat-out wrong.  The Constitution, including the Equal Protection Clauses of the 5th and 14th Amendments, do not guarantee foreigners the right to come to America, or to stay here; we can keep them out for any reason we choose.  The only requirement is that IF THEY ARE HERE, they are to be dealt with under the law as other PERSONS.  It does not require that we allow folks from all countries and all walks of life equal opportunity to enter America, because everyone who wants to come to America is not amenable to be citizens of a liberal republic with democratic features and enumerated liberties.  When asked what kind of new nation we were, Ben Franklin said that our new nation was "A Republic, madam, if you can keep it (emphasis added)."  Part of that "keeping" is being mindful to ensure that those who shape its destiny share in their belief in liberal democracy, and not everyone, everywhere in the world who wants to come to America is amenable to that.

[Mehmentum]

Also, he's wrong about Khan having speechwriters.  He wrote the speech himself.

[TDAS04]

No surprise.  Trump is truly a nasty man.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

More evidence that there is simply a right and wrong choice this election. There is no excuse for this. There is no excuse for defending it, either.

Eh, Trump being an asshole is perhaps the least troubling factor to be afraid of his presidency.

[Gustaf]

I hadn't thought about the bit of what he would say to the father. It's pretty gross as well.

[Doimper]

He's right, her husband probably told her she couldn't. I thought that when I saw her

You have to be kidding me. WTF

Why are such blatant displays of xenophobia allowed? I'm not entirely sure what the moderators here do.

[Devout Centrist]

Like I said, Donald Trump has no way to stop the bleeding now if he does something stupid. Before, he had Clinton's emails in early July and the Republican convention following his remarks on Judge Curiel.

He screws up now, he has no guarantee of reversing it.

[Gustaf]

He's right, her husband probably told her she couldn't. I thought that when I saw her

I can't imagine having the level of hate in my heart like you have.

The next time I hear such a comment from a liberal commenting about a conservative Christian expounding on something while his wife just stands silently won't be the first.  Of course, it's not "hate" when a conservative Christian is the target of such a comment, it's just "pointing out the obvious".  There is a right and wrong, but there is also a double standard here amongst some, and some who will deny this are just flat-out intellectually dishonest.  And there is, very much, a sharp differentiation on the issue of the status of women between Muslims (even American Muslims) and it is interesting that liberal Democrats rake conservative Christians over the coals on this issue, but provide deafening silence when the issue of the status of American Muslim women is mentioned.

I have empathy for Mr. and Mrs. Khan.  They are Gold Star Parents, and Trump might have done better to have focused more on that.  They deserve honor for being Gold Star Parents, and that honor is a bittersweet honor, to say the least.  But they did voluntarily use their status as Gold Star Parents in a purely political venue to take Trump to task, and about "the Constitution" no less.  When you do that, you waive a degree of deference you might get otherwise.  And when you comment on substantive matters in that venue, your comments are subject to analysis and criticism.

As to the Constitution, the Khans are flat-out wrong.  The Constitution, including the Equal Protection Clauses of the 5th and 14th Amendments, do not guarantee foreigners the right to come to America, or to stay here; we can keep them out for any reason we choose.  The only requirement is that IF THEY ARE HERE, they are to be dealt with under the law as other PERSONS.  It does not require that we allow folks from all countries and all walks of life equal opportunity to enter America, because everyone who wants to come to America is not amenable to be citizens of a liberal republic with democratic features and enumerated liberties.  When asked what kind of new nation we were, Ben Franklin said that our new nation was "A Republic, madam, if you can keep it (emphasis added)."  Part of that "keeping" is being mindful to ensure that those who shape its destiny share in their belief in liberal democracy, and not everyone, everywhere in the world who wants to come to America is amenable to that.

Don't BS about this. What he said was wrong, unsubstantiated and bigoted. She has spoken in interviews and said she chose not to speak because she was overcome with grief. Which is of course the logical first choice of theory for why a mother would want to stay silent. Unless you're an Islamophobe like you and your ilk, of course.

Trump's comments about Muslims already in America, for example branding American citizens of Muslim faith as foreigners or pushing for active persecution of Muslims clearly are in violation of those amendments. And furthermore it's pretty clear that the spirit of US legislation on religious freedom is very anathema to banning people from entering solely due to their faith.

[Gustaf]

He's right, her husband probably told her she couldn't. I thought that when I saw her

You have to be kidding me. WTF

Why are such blatant displays of xenophobia allowed? I'm not entirely sure what the moderators here do.

We generally try to tread carefully when it comes to political views - especially ones that are now (horrifyingly) mainstream in the US.

If you think it was against the ToS you should report it.

[GliddenVarnish]

Trump is willing to sacrifice this country's PAINT industry. Do we really want unpainted houses in America?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

He's wearing his orange hair just like Jesus Our Savior wore a thorny crown.

[publicunofficial]

Fuzzy, what Trump said wasn't even criticism. It was just a race-baiting insult.


Trump's desire to strike back on any person who criticizes him, regardless of who they are, is disturbing.