Khizr Khan, Gen. Allen: Trump lacks respect, fitness to serve as Commander-in-Chief

Thursday, Gen. John Allen (ret.) and Gold Star father Khizr Khan joined a press call to condemn Donald Trump’s continuing attacks on the United States military, our veterans, and their families. While Gen. Allen and Mr. Khan spoke from their own distinct perspectives, both assailed Trump as temperamentally unfit to serve as Commander-in-Chief, disrespectful toward our troops, ill-informed about military operations, and unwilling to educate himself.

Comments from Khizr Khan

“I am really saddened to see Donald Trump’s remarks about our military leadership. I salute our military leaders, their sacrifices, their service to our country. Their service and their leadership has made this country great, and a leader in the world.”

“I want to address him directly. Donald Trump: Your practice of division and hatred is unacceptable to America. Your practice of hatred and division is not according to American values that we know. You have constantly, and your surrogates have constantly, practiced disrespect and indignity towards my sisters and daughters, the women of the United States. It’s unacceptable.”

“If you aspire to be the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the United States, you have proven yourself disqualified temperamentally. You are neither capable, nor [are you] willing to learn.”

Comments from Gen. John Allen

“[Trump’s] remarks [about the Mosul offensive] are not only uninformed…but it also directly undercuts the courage and the commitment of our troops. And I took great exception to this. However he feels personally about this operation, he should be encouraging our efforts publicly, rather than disparaging them.”

“While [Trump] appears not to understand basic military activities, it’s not clear to me that he’s interested in learning them, either. Because there are a number of experts, who I think…would advise him otherwise. But he seems to be confident in his knowledge. And that knowledge, I think, reveals a lot about what he doesn’t know.

“This kind of rhetoric; this kind of disrespect for our military leadership; this absence of support for our troops who are actually in combat and support for our allies who are fighting and dying every day – it means to me that this individual is not qualified to be Commander-in-Chief.”