Trump adviser chides nominee over Khan attacks

A Donald Trump adviser and Republican chairman chided the GOP nominee on Monday after he repeatedly criticized the Muslim parents of an Army officer killed in the Iraq War.

“When someone lays down their life for this country, their sacrifice and that of their family is beyond reproach,” House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), who has advised the GOP nominee on national security issues, said in a statement. “That includes Captain Humayun Kahn [sic], as well as the four Americans who were killed in the terrorist attack in Benghazi.”

{mosads}Miller, whom Trump is considering for Veterans Affairs secretary, never directly references Trump in the statement, however. And he also took aim at the media for not rigorously covering a dispute between Hillary Clinton and Patricia Smith, the mother of Sean Smith, one of four Americans killed in the terrorist attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Miller declared that the press is “in the tank” for the Democratic nominee.

“That’s why the media’s relative silence regarding Pat Smith’s criticism of Hillary Clinton has been deafening. Hillary Clinton lied to Pat Smith about the cause of the attacks, and when Smith called her on it, Clinton essentially called her a liar,” Miller continued in his statement. “Apparently, according to the media, such a back-and-forth would only be newsworthy if a Republican was involved.

“Perhaps that’s because, much like the DNC, the press has been in the tank for Hillary Clinton the entire election season.”

Trump’s skirmish with Khizr and Ghazala Khan has distracted the campaign for days.

At last week’s Democratic National Convention, Khizr Khan, with his wife standing by his side, challenged Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S., questioning whether Trump had ever read the Constitution and made any personal sacrifices in his life.

Their 27-year-old son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, was killed by a car bomb while serving in Iraq.

Trump took to Twitter and repeatedly attacked the Khans, including suggesting that Ghazala Khan was not “allowed” to speak.

The candidate’s attacks on the Khans were roundly condemned by GOP leaders, including Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was tortured for years in a Vietcong prison, issued a lengthy statement rebuking the GOP standard-bearer.

“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,” said McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee whom Trump mocked last year for being captured during the Vietnam War.

Other senior Republicans on Capitol Hill also piled on Trump on Monday. But like Ryan, McConnell and Miller, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) refused to mention Trump’s name.

“I am dismayed at the attacks Khizr and Ghazala Khan have endured after they spoke about their son’s service and sacrifice. There is never enough honor we can show to the families of those whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” Thornberry said in a statement.

“Service to our country is above politics. I believe that each of us are called every day to show our deepest respect and gratitude to all of those who protect our freedom and their families.”