While national Democrats and Republicans have rebuked Donald Trump’s personal attacks on the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, Virginia’s Republican candidates have remained silent this weekend.
Khizr and Ghazala Khan live in Charlottesville. Their late son, Humayun, was a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he was enrolled in the Army ROTC program.
On Saturday, Lieutenant Governor and Democratic candidate for Governor Ralph Northam said: “Virginia is proud of the Khan family and all who sacrifice for our nation. As a veteran, I believe Trump’s remarks are a disgrace.” Ed Gillespie, Rob Wittman and Corey Stewart have yet to comment on the controversy.
Today, the Democratic Party of Virginia is calling on Gillespie, Stewart and Wittman to condemn Trump’s attacks on the Khan family.
“Donald Trump’s attacks on a Virginia military family are offensive to all Virginians,” said Emily Bolton, Communications Director for the Virginia Democratic Party. "Meanwhile, Ed Gillespie, Rob Wittman and Corey Stewart are silent in the face of Donald Trump’s most offensive comments. If a Republican candidate for governor won’t defend a Virginia military family who lost their son at war, how can we trust them to do what is right thing as governor?”
On Thursday, Khizr Khan addressed the Democratic National Convention with his wife, Ghazala, by his side to discuss the pain of losing their son at war in 2004.
On Saturday, Trump questioned the Khans’ authenticity by suggesting that Khizr’s address to the DNC was not in his own words and Trump implied that their religion barred Ghazala from speaking. Khizr responded that he spoke from the heart about the loss of his son and his wife was too grief stricken to speak.
Gillespie and Wittman, both candidates for governor, have a history of silence when it comes to Donald Trump’s most offensive comments. In June, both refused to condemn Trump when he said a judge could not do his job because of where his parents where born. Now, neither has condemned Trump for attacking a Virginia military family.