Trump vs. the Khans
By Trump’s account, he conceded the good sense of this, although he noted how he always prefers hitting back — “it makes me feel good.”
.. By Trump’s account, he conceded the good sense of this, although he noted how he always prefers hitting back — “it makes me feel good.”
.. The Trump response predictably fueled an all-out media blitz by the Khans. It validated one of the main lines of criticism of Trump at the DNC — that he is so thin-skinned, he can’t be entrusted with the awesome powers of the presidency. And his religiously fraught slap at Khan’s wife and his rhetorical manhandling of a family who had sacrificed so much for the country reinforced the sense that he refuses to honor basic political norms.
.. It’s not that grief validates a particular point of view, or someone who has suffered a terrible loss should be above criticism. But the grieving mother or father deserves an extra measure of respect. This isn’t just Politics 101, but Decency 101.
.. Trump believes, from his decades in the public eye in the media capital of the world, that it always pays to be on the attack. This isn’t true anymore. The question no longer is whether he can garner headlines, but whether he can demonstrate his suitability to becoming commander-in-chief. The only one he’s hurt by his assault on the Khans is himself.