U.S. Rep. Martha McSally has weighed in on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s ongoing feud with Khizr and Ghazala Khan Kahn, the parents of heroic Muslim-American soldier Capt. Humayun S. M. Khan killed in Iraq in 2004.

“Our fallen heroes, and their families, deserve nothing but our highest respect,” McSally said via email. “This is not a gray area, and there is no justification ever for attacking the family of someone who gave his or her life for this country.”

In case you’ve somehow missed out on this episode, Trump in recent days has suggested that Ghazala Kahn was forbidden to speak—because of some weird Islamic Sharia Law thing!—during her husband’s lambasting of Trump at the Democratic National Convention; he’s said the Kahns had “no right” to speak out against him; he’s compared the Kahn’s loss of their son in the Iraq war to his own “sacrifice” in creating jobs; and he’s told a TV station that Kahn was “most upset” by the idea that Trump would prevent terrorists from entering the country. His surrogates has suggested that Trump has sacrificed his first two marriages in all his job-creating stress and the Khizr Kahn is a secret agent of the Muslim Brotherhood. Oh, and during a rally with GOP vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence, a crowd booed the mother of a soldier serving overseas because she asked Pence about the Kahn family and Trump’s general disrespect toward the military. 

McSally has said she won’t endorse Trump, but she may vote for him.

McSally’s statement followed the path of House Speaker Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, who spoke out in support of the Kahns without actually criticizing Trump.

Sen. John McCain, who has not backed off his promised endorsement of Trump despite Trump’s disparagement of his war record, did call out Trump by name in his statement:

The Republican Party I know and love is the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan.

I wear a bracelet bearing the name of a fallen hero, Matthew Stanley, which his mother, Lynn, gave me in 2007, at a town hall meeting in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. His memory and the memory of our great leaders deserve better from me.

In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents. He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.

Make no mistake: I do not valorize our military out of some unfamiliar instinct. I grew up in a military family, and have my own record of service, and have stayed closely engaged with our armed forces throughout my public career. In the American system, the military has value only inasmuch as it protects and defends the liberties of the people.

My father was a career naval officer, as was his father. For hundreds of years, every generation of McCains has served the United States in uniform.

My sons serve today, and I’m proud of them. My youngest served in the war that claimed Captain Khan’s life as well as in Afghanistan. I want them to be proud of me. I want to do the right thing by them and their comrades.

Humayun Khan did exactly that — and he did it for all the right reasons. This accomplished young man was not driven to service as a United States Army officer because he was compelled to by any material need. He was inspired as a young man by his reading of Thomas Jefferson — and he wanted to give back to the country that had taken him and his parents in as immigrants when he was only two years old.

Captain Khan’s death in Iraq, on June 8th, 2004, was a shining example of the valor and bravery inculcated into our military. When a suicide bomber accelerated his vehicle toward a facility with hundreds of American soldiers, Captain Khan ordered his subordinates away from the danger.
“Then he ran toward it.
“The suicide bomber, striking prematurely, claimed the life of Captain Khan — and Captain Khan, through his selfless action and sacrifice, saved the lives of hundreds of his brothers and sisters.

Scripture tells us that “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Captain Humayun Khan of the United States Army showed in his final moments that he was filled and motivated by this love. His name will live forever in American memory, as an example of true American greatness.

In the end, I am morally bound to speak only to the things that command my allegiance, and to which I have dedicated my life’s work: the Republican Party, and more importantly, the United States of America. I will not refrain from doing my utmost by those lights simply because it may benefit others with whom I disagree.

I claim no moral superiority over Donald Trump. I have a long and well-known public and private record for which I will have to answer at the Final Judgment, and I repose my hope in the promise of mercy and the moderation of age. I challenge the nominee to set the example for what our country can and should represent.

Arizona is watching. It is time for Donald Trump to set the example for our country and the future of the Republican Party. While our Party has bestowed upon him the nomination, it is not accompanied by unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us.

Lastly, I’d like to say to Mr. and Mrs. Khan: thank you for immigrating to America. We’re a better country because of you. And you are certainly right; your son was the best of America, and the memory of his sacrifice will make us a better nation — and he will never be forgotten.

This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2016.

Getting hassled by The Man Mild-mannered reporter

32 replies on “McSally: “No Justification for Ever Attacking the Family of Someone Who Gave His or Her Life for This Country””

  1. You had better watch what you say or do. You were elected to this office to do a job, and I haven’t seen any results yet. What happened to the border fence. I see Obama Care is still in effect. I believe you, and our wonderful Governor of Arizona stated that you would seal the border, and repeal Obama Care if elected. Do your job, and get something done.You were not elected to this office to suck up to Democrats. I feel for that family’s loss, but the Democrats are using them as pawns to make Trump look bad. Stand up and endorse the Republican nominee instead of a Democratic Muslim family. I will not vote for any RINO!!!

  2. Bill Clinton is a draft dodger. Hillary Clinton has now told a multitude of lies. She has made FBI Director Comey, the laughingstock of the country, and reduced him to a pitance.

    Let’s get back to the issues. Or will Hillary deny the facts surrounding Mr Khan?

    http://shoebat.com/2016/07/31/what-the-media-is-not-telling-you-about-the-muslim-who-attacked-donald-trump-he-is-a-muslim-brotherhood-agent-who-wants-to-advance-sharia-law-and-bring-muslims-into-the-united-states/

  3. Jerry Keune:

    The Dems don’t need Captain Khan’s family to make Chump look bad. Chump does a fantastic job of that all on his own.

  4. I get all my facts from shoebat! you’re freaking unhinged if you believe that crap, and if you believe that the clintons murdered vince foster, that obama is a muslim, that jade helm was a government takeover, that chemtrails are real, or that hillary clinton is more of a liar than trump, and on and on. you’re the damn problem. i bet you’re going to believe that the election was rigged too when trump gets his ass handed to him, on the backs of voters who actually have a clear vision of hillary clinton as a flawed but competent alternative to an unhinged spoiled child who is conning the shit out of you for his own gain.
    citizens are tired your idiotic bullshit, it’s hurting the country and our democracy infinitely more than any of the immigrant/muslim/black lives matter/conspiracies you actually claim are the enemy.
    there are plenty of problems with our government and the democratic party, but they won’t get fixed until you pull you’re scared head of your ass and learn to think critically.

  6. Jerry and Cliff – why do you hate America? The wheels are coming off the Trump campaign, and it’s only going to get worse. Can’t run a business, can’t run a campaign, can’t run anything except his mouth. Got himself a Purple Heart today, though. The easy way. It will be a pleasure watching traitors like you go down with the ship.

  7. Hey Cliff,

    No one at Cheers believed your Mr. Know it All BS, so what makes you think you’ll have more believers here? Sure, you might get Ratt, Julie Heston, Larry McNeil and Wrong, Again to side with you, but they’re like the gang at Gary’s Olde Towne Tavern…they don’t count. Quit posting nonsense and get back to work, people out there are waiting for their junk mail and past due notices.

  9. regardless of whether trump wins or loses, its always going to be shameful to me that as many people ever stood by him as there are now. i can’t think of any other candidate on either side that built up their campaign with so much vitriol

  10. Also pathetic how readily the Trump crowd rushes to embrace and repeat the words of our enemies.

  13. i commend mcsally for standing up for what she believes in instead of just blindly following the herd of sheep and espousing a candidate she doesn’t agree with. i have more respect for her than most republicans

  14. If anyone says they won’t endorse Trump, but that they’ll still vote for him…that is the very definition of an endorsement.

  15. As opposed to the socialist Sanders who endorsed Hillary, told others to vote for her, and then he won’t.

    What is the definition of that? Oh yeah, a socialist/democrat.

  17. Now we know that McSally stands with all good liberals for Sharia law.

    Wouldn’t Sally and her partner Sharon Bronson look lovely in their matching burkas and silenced.

  19. Ah, for the old days of intelligent dialogue and passionate debate. Today we are left slinging sh@t at one another like monkeys in a zoo, but that is the example set by the so-called leaders, who have left any semblance of statesmanship relegated to the past when ethics were more important than polls and the media reported the news instead of scripting and producing it for mass consumption like political junk food.

  20. So, because this lawyer had a kid who joined the service and died 12 years ago, the father is now off-limits from rebuttal criticism?
    Khan is a Muslim lawyer who supports sharia law, and who lived in Saudi Arabia. He doesn’t support freedom of religion.

  21. The comments deflecting the article toward Hillary and Breitbart’s Sharia panic are truly missing the point here: this young man, who reached the commissioned rank of Captain, was brave and meritorious and lost his life while protecting the lives of others. Both McSally and McCain are former military, and their public conscience in this matter is honorable. Trump’s habit of reacting quickly and thoughtlessly to ANY perceived slight or “insult” not only makes him look like a strange and superficial politician, but also a callous man who has a nasty streak and really doesn’t carefully consider the bigger, more complicated issues.

  22. It makes no difference how much they disagree with Trump–those Republicans who insist they will vote for him are still endorsing him and what he stands for and are doing their utmost to get him elected.

    McSally and McCain are afraid to stand up against evil, but of course, I’m assuming that they perceive him as evil. Perhaps they really agree with him and only outwardly disagree on some points to court wavering voters.

  23. Mr Khan now denies existence of sharia law. Imagine that.

    He was on Anderson Cooper last night and he said ‘I do not stand for any sharia law because there is no such thing,’”

    Frank Gaffney at The Center For Security Policy calls the man a fraud and that he is lying for his religion. Too bad the media missed Trump’s point. It was never about their son. It is about them.

    If we don’t stand up to them we will become France. Obama has already made us Greece.

    No longer respected anywhere. Please try to pay attention.

  24. “Too bad the media missed Trump’s point.” – heh, heh, heh.
    Now if only Trump would stop putting words in Trump’s mouth.

  25. Condescending much? Many, many of us are “paying attention” very closely to current events, and many of us sincerely believe that electing a reality TV star to be POTUS will NOT enhance our status in the world, And, stating categorically that our nation is “no longer respected anywhere” is not true at all. The rest of the world is watching the United States very closely, and both our friends (yes, that includes France) and our adversaries (yes, that still includes Russia) will be affected by the outcome of this American election. You ain’t seen disrespect yet – until Trump gets elected.

  26. You guys are simply unwilling to vote outside your party. We had a chance with Sanders, but voting for Hillary is more (and worse) of the same. Plus all the lies.

    1960 elections really spotlighted voter fraud when Illinois and Texas were stolen by democrats. That may be one thing Trump is right about.

    Will the votes in this election be counted in Spain?

    Will they hide the military votes again because there is no trace available?

    http://www.westernjournalism.com/spanish-company-will-count-american-votes-overseas-in-november/

  28. Trump needs professional help. The same holds true for anyone who considers Breitbart a credible source.

  30. Future entry on a history website concerning America today:

    MOB RULE – A period in the history of the United States when the three branches of the federal government were focused on rampant partisan politics above all else, fueled by nefarious behind the scenes dark money and special interests geared toward the exponential increase of wealth and power concentrated in the hands of an extremely small number of people without regard to and with the perversion of the rule of law and the constitutionally protected rights of the overwhelming vast majority of the American people.

    This period was characterized by repeated incidents of mismanagement, malfeasants and criminal activity by federal, state and local governments attempting to maintain the status quo in the face of outrageous personal, professional, political, corporate and institutional behavior, frequently directed at minority groups based upon race, religion, sexual orientation and social-economic status.

    Repeated grass-roots attempts by these minority groups to address inequalities and injustice repeatedly failed because of their inability to nonviolently address core issues on a level playing field because of the undue and insurmountable political and social influence welded by those entities able to concentrate their wealth and influence on corrupt and impotent federal, state and local governments and the various “elected” officials and representatives they fully controlled through financial and political means.

    Using disruptive business practices to achieve financial goals, those welding power behind the scenes undermined not only the political process, but the delicate infrastructure of the criminal justice system. By eliminating “justice” from the equation, the rule of law became a jumble of rules, regulations and laws that favored the few at the expense of maintaining civil order, directly contributing to the total breakdown of society and the eventual fall of the United States.

    (See “Global Corporations – The New Nations of the 22nd Century).

  32. Typical Martha McSalley;

    Thinking only her opinion matters. Shame on you Martha. You have a pattern in my home of disrespecting the great people of this area, when, your aids told me directly, “they do not have time for me”, nor my problem. It’s still in e mail, on record, along with the stupid non caring apology she sent to me after I notified the DC office. However, as I stated then, I state now. Your aides are representative of your attitude and is why she stated it and is why she and you got away with it. After all, I am just one measly constituent. Cant please everyone, can we Martha? I am switching party’s. Black Lives Matter too!!!!!

    You, need to be removed from office, just because of who and how high you think you have risen. Thank you for your service to this nation in all aspects.
    Take care.

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