Campaign 2016: Gold Star Khan family appears in Hillary Clinton’s latest ad campaign.
CLEVELAND — Hillary Clinton ramped up her pressure on Donald Trump in the election’s most competitive states Friday with an emotional TV ad targeting his criticism of a Muslim American family. Trump vowed to go all-out in the final three weeks so he’ll have no regrets — even if he loses.
The nominees retrenched behind familiar arguments a day after appearing together at a charity event that veered into cutting personal attacks, an unexpected metaphor for this year’s take-no-prisoners presidential campaign. Clinton’s new ad features Khizr Khan, whom Trump assailed after Khan spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
In the minute-long ad, which Clinton’s campaign said was airing in seven battleground states, Khan retells how his son, Capt. Humayun Khan, died in Iraq seeking to protect his U.S. military unit from a suicide bomber.
“Mr. Trump, would my son have a place in your America?” the father asks, tearing up as the ad fades to black.
Clinton has sought to use Trump’s widely panned attacks on the father and his wife as evidence supporting her case that the Republican bullies minorities, especially those who disagree with him. In person, she promoted early voting Friday in Ohio.
Trump, meanwhile, settled on a new target: Michelle Obama, who has emerged as one of the most effective voices for Clinton. One of the country’s most popular Democrats, the first lady for years has been loath to devote significant time to campaigning, but she has done so in recent days with searing indictments of Trump’s treatment of women.
“All she wants to do is campaign,” Trump said as he rallied supporters in North Carolina. He cited comments Mrs. Obama made during her husband’s 2008 campaign in which she said someone who can’t run their own house can’t run the White House. “She’s the one that started that,” Trump said.
The typically selfassured Trump was unusually candid about the possibility of losing the election, a prospect that has grown in likelihood as Clinton solidifies her lead in battleground states that will decide the election. Trump said he is packing his schedule with campaign events through election day so he will know he spared no effort even if ultimately unsuccessful.
“I will be happy with myself . ... Because I don’t want to say, I don’t want to think back, if only I did one more rally,” he said. “I would have won North Carolina by 500 votes instead of losing it by 200 votes.
“I never want to ever look back.”
Trump and Clinton were still sharply at odds over his unprecedented assertion in the final debate on Wednesday that he may not concede if he loses. Clinton has called that “horrifying,” while Trump has said he’s merely reserving the right to contest the results if the outcome is unclear or questionable.
Underpinning Trump’s threat is his contention — presented with no evidence — that the election is “rigged” against him and may be soiled by widespread voter fraud. He’s urged supporters to “monitor” polling places for potential shenanigans.
Early voting is under way in more than 30 states.
With the final debate behind them, the two candidates appeared together Thursday night for likely the last time in the campaign, at a Catholic fundraiser that turned unusually hostile.