Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim Army captain who criticized Donald Trump during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, has announced his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Khan believes Trump is a divisive figure who poses a threat to American democracy and views Harris as a unifier who supports equal opportunities for all Americans. Khan’s son, Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed in Iraq in 2004, and he fears that Trump’s authoritarian tendencies could jeopardize American freedoms.
As Harris faces Republican attacks over the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, including criticism of the handling of a bombing at the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members, Khan has urged Gold Star families to reconsider their support for Trump. He believes that Trump is exploiting their grief for political gain and has been disrespectful toward veterans and their families. Khan also emphasized the importance of respecting military leadership and not second-guessing their decisions.
Khan criticized Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where Trump posed for photos with thumbs up, calling it disrespectful to the heroes buried there. Harris also condemned Trump’s actions at the cemetery as a political stunt. Meanwhile, Trump has defended his visit, saying he was asked by a family to take photos and did not request them. The Trump campaign has repeatedly blamed Harris for the service members’ deaths during the withdrawal, while some Gold Star families have blamed Biden and Harris.
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