Trump and spineless Republicans
The following is an excerpt from an editorial this week in the New York Times: Just when it seems that Donald Trump could not display more ignorance and bad judgment or less of a moral compass, he comes up with another ignominy or two. Last weekend, he denigrated the parents of a fallen American military hero.
Mr. Trump’s divisive views helped him capture the Republican presidential nomination. And even as he creates a political whirlwind with each utterance, leading members of his own party haven’t the spine to rescind their support. Sure, some have come out with strong criticisms, but none have gone far enough. Repudiation of his candidacy is the only principled response.
Mr. Trump’s derision of the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, a Muslim American who was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart after he was killed in Iraq by a suicide bomber, was deplorable and mystifying. Why would a presidential candidate mock the parents of a soldier who died in combat?
At last week’s Democratic convention, Captain Khan’s father, Khizr Khan, with his wife, Ghazala Khan, by his side, criticized Mr. Trump for proposing to ban Muslim immigration to the United States and accused him of having made no sacrifices for his country. Over the weekend, Mr. Trump implied that Mrs. Khan did not speak at the convention because her religion did not allow it, and he equated his “sacrifices” as a businessman to those of the grieving parents. On Monday, Mr. Trump kept at it, complaining on Twitter that Mr. Khan “viciously attacked” him.
Some Republicans, like the House speaker, Paul Ryan; the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell; and Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire released statements defending the Khans. Yet they still refuse to back off their support for Mr. Trump.
Few carry as much weight on military matters as Senator John McCain of Arizona, himself a decorated hero of the Vietnam War, who issued a statement Monday sharply criticizing Mr. Trump, saying, “It is time for Donald Trump to set the example for our country and the future of the Republican Party.”
It’s hard to imagine, a year into the campaign, that Mr. Trump could ever set such an example. The truth is, it’s time for Mr. McCain and other Republican leaders to set an example for their party by withdrawing support for Mr. Trump.