WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner on Monday joined a growing list of Republicans critical of Donald Trump for his verbal feud with a Muslim-American couple whose son died fighting for the U.S. Army in Iraq.
Three Colorado GOP congressmen also issued statements, ranging from highly critical to expressions of support for families of those killed in action.
Gardner, Trump, said he honors the 2004 sacrifice of Army Capt. Humayun Khan and described as inappropriate Trump’s response to the appearance of Khizr and Ghazala Khan last week at the Democratic National Convention — although, like many lawmakers, he did not mention Trump by name.
“There is no room in American politics to insult our Gold Star families,” Gardner said in a statement. But the Colorado lawmaker did not say how it would affect his support of the party’s presidential nominee.
In one of the more powerful moments of the four-day Democratic convention, Khizr Khan condemned Trump’s rhetoric toward Islam — including Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. — in light of his family’s grief.
“If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America,” Khan said of his son.
In response, Trump made note of how Ghazala Khan didn’t speak at the convention and an insinuation perhaps to stereotypes of her Islamic faith.Ghazala Khan came back with her own essay on why she didn’t talk — , she wrote — and more media appearances by the couple.
Trump kept the fight going Monday with Tweets saying he was being “viciously” attacked, which led to more hand-wringing by GOP pundits and lawmakers who didn’t understand why the party’s presidential nominee was engaging in a days-long fight with the family of a fallen service member.
“While our party has bestowed upon him the nomination, it is not accompanied by those who are the best among us,” said U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in a statement — joining other Republicans, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who for the Khans.
Two Colorado Republicans offered similar words of reproach, although neither mentioned Trump or his comments.
“Americans who have sacrificed their lives in service to our country are to be honored and respected,” wrote U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, in a statement.
Said U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez: “Every man and woman who serves and the military families who sacrifice so much deserve our gratitude and respect.”
The most forceful rebuke was from U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora.
“Having served in Iraq, I’m deeply offended when Donald Trump fails to honor the sacrifices of all of our brave soldiers who were lost in that war,” said Coffman, a Marine Corps veteran.
Even so, Democrats argued that Coffman shares some of Trump’s values and as evidence pointed to a 2011 interview in which Coffman called for “to make sure that our ranks are not infiltrated by those sympathetic to radical Islam.”
“I think that is very important,” Coffman said at the time. “And I think that also it would help Muslim Americans who are serving in the military, because then those soldiers, Marines and airmen, serving alongside of them would understand that they have been vetted and that they can be trusted.”
Asked about that stance now, Coffman said a vetting process should be as integral to the U.S. military today as it was during the Cold War.
“I strongly support the right of Muslim Americans to serve in our military,” he said. “However, I still believe that there should be a vetting process for everyone entering the military.”
