{"slug":"trump-khan-family-gold-star-attacks","title":"Trump Attacked Gold Star Khan Family for Opposing Him at DNC","date":"2016-07-28","lastUpdated":"2016-08-02","description":"Khizr and Ghazala Khan appeared at the 2016 Democratic National Convention to speak about their son Captain Humayun Khan, a U.S. Army officer who was killed in action in Iraq in 2004 while protecting his soldiers from a suicide bombing. They criticized Trump's proposed Muslim ban. Trump responded by implying Ghazala Khan had been prevented from speaking (she had not), questioning Khizr Khan's motivations, suggesting he had been 'viciously attacked' by the Khans, and comparing his business sacrifices to their son's military death. The response was condemned across party lines.","summary":"Captain Humayun Khan had received the Bronze Star and was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for his actions on June 8, 2004, when he was killed stopping a suicide car bomb that would have killed many more soldiers. His parents appeared at the DNC in support of Hillary Clinton and against Trump's Muslim ban, which would have prevented their family's immigration. Trump responded by suggesting Ghazala Khan had been silent at the podium because she was 'not allowed' to speak under Islamic tradition — she said she was too overcome by grief to speak. Trump described himself as having made 'sacrifices' comparable to the Khans' loss.","category":"civil-rights","severity":"major","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/31/us/politics/donald-trump-khizr-khan-wife-ghazala.html","title":"Donald Trump Criticizes Muslim Family of Slain U.S. Soldier, and G.O.P. Sees a Breach","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/after-days-of-criticism-trump-says-he-was-viciously-attacked-by-khan-family/2016/07/31/a573a0ca-5717-11e6-b7de-dfe509430c39_story.html","title":"Trump says he was 'viciously attacked' by Khan family","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/khizr-khan-trump-gold-star-family","title":"Trump attacks Muslim family of slain soldier; GOP condemns","publisher":"The Associated Press"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["Khan-family","Gold-Star","Muslim-ban","pre-presidency","military","veterans"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2004-06-08","title":"Captain Humayun Khan killed in action","summary":"Captain Humayun Khan is killed near Baqubah, Iraq, when he moves forward from his unit to meet a suspicious vehicle that subsequently detonates, saving the lives of his soldiers. He is posthumously awarded the Purple Heart."},{"date":"2016-07-28","title":"Khans speak at DNC","summary":"Khizr and Ghazala Khan appear at the Democratic National Convention. Khizr holds up a pocket Constitution and challenges Trump to read the 14th Amendment. Ghazala stands silently at his side, unable to speak through her grief. Millions watch on television."},{"date":"2016-07-30","title":"Trump attacks the Khans on ABC","summary":"Trump tells ABC's George Stephanopoulos that Ghazala Khan was perhaps 'not allowed' to speak, implying Islamic religious restriction. He describes his business building as comparable 'sacrifice' to the Khans'."},{"date":"2016-08-01","title":"Ghazala Khan responds in Washington Post","summary":"Ghazala Khan writes an op-ed explaining that she had not been prevented from speaking — she is a practicing attorney in the United States — but had been unable to speak through her grief about her son. The op-ed is widely shared."},{"date":"2016-08-02","title":"Trump continues attacks; GOP leaders condemn","summary":"Trump continues to defend his response to the Khans. Senior Republicans including McCain, Ryan, and Bush release statements condemning the attacks. McCain explicitly invokes Trump's treatment of veterans as disqualifying."}],"location":{"name":"New York, NY / Philadelphia, PA","lat":40.7128,"lng":-74.006},"custom":{"era":"pre-presidency","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"Khizr and Ghazala Khan; their son Captain Humayun Khan's memory; Gold Star families broadly","structuredVictims":[{"name":"Khizr Khan","group":"Gold Star family","status":"Father of Captain Humayun Khan; attacked by Trump after DNC speech"},{"name":"Ghazala Khan","group":"Gold Star family","status":"Mother of Captain Humayun Khan; implied by Trump to have been silenced under Islamic tradition"}],"structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"Presidential candidate; attacked Gold Star family after DNC speech","institution":"Trump campaign"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2016-08-02","summary":"Updated with ongoing response and GOP condemnation."}]}}