US: McCain rebukes Trump for anti-Muslim statements

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – Republican Sen. John McCain sharply denounced his party’s nominee for president Monday, deriding Donald Trump’s belittling of a slain Muslim soldier’s family.

“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,” McCain said in an unusually lengthy statement. “I challenge the nominee to set the example for what our country can and should represent.”

Khizr and Ghazala Khan took to the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night to reject Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the U.S. Khizr Khan famously held up a copy of the U.S. Constitution during his fiery speech, offering it to Trump for reference and saying that the billionaire has “sacrificed nothing and no one”.

Khan’s son Army Capt. Humayun Khan died while fighting in Iraq. He was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service.

In typical fashion, Trump criticized Ghazala Khan, suggesting that she wasn’t allowed to speak because she is a Muslim woman.

“I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement,” McCain said. “I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.”

Trump has yet to backtrack on his comments.

“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," McCain said in a statement that fell just short of officially rescinding his begrudging endorsement.

The former Navy captain has long been at odds with the Republican nominee.

Trump infamously mocked McCain, saying he is “not a war hero”. McCain was captured by enemy forces during the Vietnam War and held for nearly six years, during which time he was tortured.