Dakota Meyer in 2014 (Getty)
In a tweet on Tuesday, Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer, called on Donald Trump to apologize for his comments on Khizr and Ghazala Khan, whose son died in Iraq in 2004. Meyer is also the son-in-law of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and Bristol Palin’s husband.
Here’s a look at what Meyer said and others who have criticized Trump’s comments.
1. Meyer Said Trump Needs to Apologize to Start Acting Like a President
Dakota Meyer in 2013. (Getty)
“If @realDonaldTrump wants to be the Commander in Chief, he needs to act like one. And that cant start until he apologizes to the Khans,” Meyer wrote.
If @realDonaldTrump wants to be the Commander in Chief, he needs to act like one. And that cant start until he apologizes to the Khans.
Meyer’s statement was later retweeted by the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Here are other responses to Meyer’s tweet:
Meyer and Bristol Palin married in June. Meyer received the Medla of Honor in 2011 for his actions in Afghanistan in 2009. Although Meyer has commented on the situation, his mother-in-law has not.
2. Meyer Also Criticized DNC Protesters for Chanting ‘No More War’
Meyer has also been critical of the Democratic Party. He criticized Bernie Sanders supporters for chanting “No More War!” throughout the Democratic National Convention. He called it “typical of what the modern liberals don’t understand.”
“At the end of the day, they’re at the DNC, so they’re Democratic supporters… I bet you anything that that wouldn’t have happened at the RNC,” Meyer said.
He also said that Trump was “absolutely wrong” about the American military being weak.
“I think that’s why you see some of those military supporters going to that side. I mean, we’re not weak. He’s absolutely wrong,” Meyer said. “That’s the thing. If Donald Trump loses — he’s out focused on Ted Cruz, he’s still being an entertainer — at what point is he gonna turn around and start being a leader?”
3. Meyer Isn’t the First From the Right to Denounce Trump’s Comments
Meyer received the Medal of Honor in 2011. (Getty)
This is just the latest denouncement of Trump’s controversial comments on Khan. The most blistering one so far on the right has come from John McCain, who said that Trump’s comments do not reflect the Republican Party. However, McCain did not go as far as to pull his support for Trump in the presidential race.
“In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents. He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service,” McCain wrote. “I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan also issued a statement, but didn’t mention Trump’s name.
America’s greatness is built on the principles of liberty and preserved by the men and women who wear the uniform to defend it. As I have said on numerous occasions, a religious test for entering our country is not reflective of these fundamental values. I reject it. Many Muslim Americans have served valiantly in our military, and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example. His sacrifice—and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan—should always be honored. Period.
4. Eric Trump Said the Situation with the Khans has Been ‘Blown Out of Proportion’
In an interview with CBS This Morning, Trump’s son Eric Trump said that the situation with the Khans has been “honestly blown out of proportion.” When asked if his father would apologize for his comments, Eric Trump replied, “You know, that’s a great question for him. And I think he has by calling him a hero, you know.”
“You see he doesn’t want to see more Americans dead. I mean my father’s a great patriot, he doesn’t want to see more Americans dead and he’s seeing what’s happening around the country and quite frankly, he’s shaking his head,” Eric Trump said.
5. Gold Star Mothers Called on Trump to Apologize, Writing ‘Ours Is a Sacrifice You Will Never Know
Khizr Khan, father of deceased Muslim U.S. Soldier Humayun S. M. Khan, holds up a booklet of the US Constitution. (Getty)
Twenty-three Gold Star Mothers have signed an open letter to Trump, insisting that he apologize for his comments on the Khans. The letter was put together by VoteVets.org Military Families Coordinator Karen Meredith.
The letter reads in part:
Your recent comments regarding the Khan family were repugnant, and personally offensive to us. When you question a mother’s pain, by implying that her religion, not her grief, kept her from addressing an arena of people, you are attacking us. When you say your job building buildings is akin to our sacrifice, you are attacking our sacrifice.
You are not just attacking us, you are cheapening the sacrifice made by those we lost.
You are minimizing the risk our service members make for all of us.
