Trump Campaign Chair: Khan Doesn’t Deserve To Be Gold Star, Supports ISIS
The head of the Trump campaign’s New York branch has come under fire for suggesting that Democrat National Convention (DNC) speaker Khizr Khan supports ISIS. Carl Paladino gave an interview on the New York based radio program “Imus in the Morning,” in which he said,
“All right, I don’t care if he’s a Gold Star parent. He certainly doesn’t deserve that title, OK, if he’s as anti-American as he’s illustrated in his speeches and in his discussion. I mean, if he’s a member of the Muslim Brotherhood or supporting, you know, the ISIS-type of attitude against America, there’s no reason for Donald Trump to have to honor this man.”
Paladino’s interpretation of Khan as “anti-American” is a lie as absurd as anything that Donald Trump himself could come up with. At the DNC Khan pulled out his pocket Constitution and accused Trump of not understanding the Constitutional protections of liberty and equal treatment under the law. Khan also touched on the death of his son, Captain Humayun Khan, in the Iraq War. Citing the Constitution and grieving the loss of his son, a true patriot who gave his life for American, is about as American as you can get.
Carrying a pocket Constitution was not a trick for the DNC. Khan, a proud immigrant and American citizen, actually carries it with him most places he go. He and his wife, Ghazala, became R.O.T.C. parents for cadets at University of Virginia. They support the cadets, host dinners, and gave each of them a pocket Constitution at their commissioning.
The Khans are true patriots and have spent a lifetime committed to American values and serving our veterans who undertake the ultimate service. For Paladino to accuse Khan of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood or supporting ISIS is a slap in the face to the endless support he has shown to the American military.
Paladino is no small time bigot; he is a prominent face of the Republican presidential campaign who once said that ““People who get on the Trump bus are people that are very, very frustrated with their government as it’s been. It doesn’t matter what kind of person is the exterminator, they want the raccoons out of the basement.”
This election cycle hateful lies that would have been confined to conspiracy theory corners of the internet are in the spotlight. It has become mainstream to accuse fellow American citizens of supporting terrorism or participating in anti-American espionage based on their religion, their heritage, and their skin tone.
Paladino’s comments represent the worst of America. We should all be afraid that this is what the race for the highest office in our nation has come to.
