Outrage Follows Donald Trump’s Attack on Muslim Parents of Fallen U.S. Soldier

Two days after Khizr Khan gave one of the most powerful speeches at the Democratic National Convention, lamenting the loss of his fallen son, a U.S. soldier, Donald Trump responded in a way that many considered over the line, even by Trump terms.

Khan's son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan, was killed in Iraq in 2004. At the DNC in Philadelphia, the father noted Trump's policy proposals would have banned his son from risking his life for the United States and pointedly said that Trump had "sacrificed nothing."

Speaking to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Trump said Khan looked like a "very nice guy," but his wife had nothing to say, and maybe she "wasn't allowed" to have anything to say. "A lot of people have said that," Trump said.

Trump seemed to be implying that because of the Khans' Muslim faith, Ghazala Khan was silenced and not allowed to speak in front of a national audience. Asked if he had sacrificed anything, Trump referred to his business ventures, calling the thousands of jobs he has created and the "great structures he's built" sacrifices, a comment which has been widely mocked on social media, especially on Twitter, under the hashtag "TrumpSacrifices."

In an interview with the Washington Post, Khizr Khan said his wife did not speak because she breaks down when she sees her son's photograph. At the convention, a photograph of Capt. Khan was projected onto a screen behind the stage. At his DNC speech, Khan questioned whether Trump had even read the Constitution, pulling out a pocket-sized copy of the book from his suit jacket.

“In this document look for the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of law,'” he said.

SEE ALSO: Father of Fallen Muslim Soldier Tells Trump: 'You Have Sacrificed Nothing'

Khan urged Trump to visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans of every faith, gender and ethnicity are buried. Capt. Khan, who had served four years in the Army and was preparing to attend law school when he was recalled for active duty, is buried at Arlington.

Born in the United Arab Emirates, Humayun Khan grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and graduated from Kennedy High School and the University of Virginia.

Appearing on MSNBC Friday, Khizr Khan addressed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, appealing to them to repudiate Trump. Under a Trump presidency, Capt. Khan might not have been allowed to serve in the military, let alone enter the country, as Trump has proposed banning all Muslims from entering the country.

In a statement issued Saturday night, Trump praised Capt. Khan as a hero and said the real problem was the radical Islamic terrorists who killed him. His campaign also released the full transcript of his interview with ABC news to show that he doesn't compare his sacrifices to anyone else and that he in fact praised Khizr Khan.

He did praise Khizr Khan, but then said he has no right to say so many inaccurate things.

"While I feel deeply for the loss of his son, Mr. Khan who has never met me, has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution, (which is false) and say many other inaccurate things. If I become President, I will make America safe again," Trump said in the statement.

The full transcript did not in any way exonerate Trump from the clip that aired on Saturday.

Outrage to Trump's comments has been widespread.

"Donald Trump's slander of Captain Humayun Khan's family is horrifying, even for Trump," tweeted John Weaver, a Republican strategist for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

"There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect. Capt. Khan is a hero. Together, we should pray for his family," Kasich said in a tweet, which was retweeted by Hillary Clinton.

"I would ask what kind of barbarian would attack the parents of a fallen soldier, but oh yeah it's the same person who attacks POW's," tweeted Meghan McCain, the daughter of Sen. John McCain and a Fox News contributor.

Clinton issued the following statement:

Stuart Stevens, a political consultant who served as a strategist for Mitt Romney in 2012, tweeted the following:

After remaining silent on the controversy, both McConnell and Ryan issued statements saying they oppose a religious test as basis for allowing someone to enter the country, sentiments that had been echoed by their spokespersons in the aftermath of Trump's comments.

McConnell said the ban was "contrary to American values."

Ryan said it was not reflective of America's fundamental values.

Both statements completely ignored what Trump said to Ghazala and Khizr Khan. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Trump's running mate, has remained silent.

Trump not being unable to admit he is at fault is a common theme of the campaign. He tweeted Sunday that he was "viciously attacked" by Khizr Khan. "Am I not allowed to respond? Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!"

Ghazala Khan, the woman Trump said has been silenced, penned an article in The Washington Post responding to Trump.

"Donald Trump said I had nothing to say. I do. My son Humayun Khan, an Army captain, died 12 years ago in Iraq. He loved America, where we moved when he was 2 years old. He had volunteered to help his country, signing up for the ROTC at the University of Virginia. This was before the attack of Sept. 11, 2001. He didn’t have to do this, but he wanted to," she wrote.

Screenshot of Khizr and Ghazala Khan from DNC video footage