Watch: #KhizrKhan asks Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to repudiate Trump. Tune in to @TheLastWord for the interview https://t.co/rtp6TJOySL
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 30, 2016
Khizr Khan made one of the biggest impacts of the Democratic Convention with his passionate call to action against Donald Trump. The father of fallen US soldier and Muslim Captain Humayun S. M. Khan struck the Republican nominee for president on his rhetoric, whipping out his own copy of the US Constitution for Trump to borrow.
But that isn’t where Khan drifts out of the spotlight. He has continued to rail against Trump in interviews post-DNC and is now attempting to reach out to Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to denounce their candidate:
I don’t become that emotional in public discourse. But there is so much at stake. And I appeal to both of these leaders: This is the time. There comes a time in the history of a nation where an ethical, a moral stand has to be taken regardless of the political cost. The only reason they’re not repudiating his behavior, his threat to our democracy, our decency, our foundation, is just because of political consequences.
This point might fall on deaf ears, but Khan is hoping the pair will hear his message despite their political leanings. If they watch Fox News, that might not happen. The network passed over Khan’s speech at the DNC for pre-packaged news according to Variety:
[The] conservative cabler chose to cut away from the elder Khan’s speech, in favor of a series of other pre-packaged stories. Under a “breaking tonight” graphic, the network aired FBI Director James Comey’s press conference on the growing ISIS threat — given on Wednesday.
Fox didn’t find time for the report on the Khan’s and their son until later, when Fox Business Channel posted video. Even then, Fox chose to focus not on Khan’s initial oratory, which had Democrats shouting out in affirmation. Instead, Fox brought in two other Muslims — Trump supporters –to offer a rebuttal. One credited Trump for forcing Democrats to address Muslim issues, while the other criticized President Obama for not using the phrase “radical Islam…”
This clearly won’t stop Khan from speaking out against the Republican candidate. And he probably shouldn’t considering the weight his words carry. Far more potent than the typical Trump criticism that we all hear day in and day out.