Travis Manion Foundation Signs Letter Defending Khan Family After Trump Criticism

The Travis Manion Foundation in Doylestown is one of seven military advocacy groups that have issued a joint letter defending a Muslim American couple whose son was killed in Iraq from criticism by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The letter, issued Monday, demands respect for the families of loved ones "who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation," according to a statement from Blue Star Families, one of the organizations who signed the letter along with the Travis Manion Foundation.

While it is not specifically address to Trump, it mentions Capt. Humayun Khan, an Army officer killed in Iraq in 2004.

Khan's parents, Khizr and Ghazala, appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday. Khizr, who spoke publicly, said Trump is disparaging to Muslims and had “sacrificed nothing and no one.” He also pulled out his pocket-size Constitution, saying he doubted Trump had ever read it and inviting the candidate to borrow his.

Trump responded to the couple, saying he was "viciously attacked" and suggested Ghazala Kahn wasn't allowed to talk during the convention.

The letter, which followed an outcry from various members of the Republican party, calls on candidates "running at all levels of government" to demonstrate "the character demanded of the offices they seek."

"Regardless of religion, race, or creed, their sacrifice, the loss of a family member is unimaginable. Their loved one's body is laid to rest under the American flag, in our national cemeteries, and their death is honored and remembered each Memorial Day by a nation grateful for their service," the letter says.

The sacrifice of the Khan family "has earned them the right to ask hard questions of all those seeking elected office, whether at the local, state or national level," the letter goes on to say.

In addition to the Travis Manion Foundation, the letter was signed by the following organizations: Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Gold Star Wives, GotYour6, Give an Hour, Iraq and Afghanistan and Veterans of America.

A spokesperson from the Travis Manion Foundation said they would have no further comment beyond the message in the letter.

Click here to read the full letter.