Gold Star father Khizr Khan, the father of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, made headlines when he criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Democratic National Convention, but we’ll show you how Khan still has respect for one prominent Republican.
TED SIMONS: Finally tonight, Khizr Khan made headlines when he criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Democratic National Convention. But Arizona Horizon producer Wafa Shahid found out that Kahn still has respect for one prominent Republican.
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REPORTER: When Captain Humayun Khan was serving in Iraq, his father Khizr Khan would send him care packages, including books.
KHIZR KHAN: The last book I send to Captain Humayun Kahn when he was in Iraq was the Senator McCain's book "Why Courage Matters."
REPORTER: In one of their last conversations, Captain Humayun Khan referenced the $10 he'd receive as a child when he read a book and summarized it to his father. It's a bittersweet memory.
KHIZR KHAN: He said, "do you have $10?" I said, "of course, I do." He was making reference to that practice. He was saying, that was a wonderful book of Senator McCain. He talks about his sacrifice and sacrifice of others to strengthen and care of others.
REPORTER: A sacrifice the Khan family is familiar with. Captain Humayun Khan was killed in a 2004 car bomb in Iraq, and now Khizr Khan and his wife feel they share something with Senator McCain.
KHIZR KHAN: Senator McCain for us is an embodiment of somebody who has given so much to this country and continues to.
REPORTER: In fact, when they established the Captain Humayun Khan Leadership Award at the University of Virginia's ROTC program, Khizr Khan asked the award recipients receive copies of two books.
KHIZR KHAN: We give a copy of the Constitution and Senator McCain's book "Why Courage Matters" to each graduating cadet.
REPORTER: It's his respect for McCain that drives Khizr Khan to urge the Senator to stand against Donald Trump.
KHIZR KHAN: If you publicly rebuked him, you will look back and you will stand tall in front of the nation. You will say, "We were not for this. We were for a better America."
REPORTER: Khizr Khan made his own decision to speak out against the nominee because of Trump's anti-immigrant comments.
KHIZR KHAN: We deliberately made the decision that this is the time that the values that Captain Humayun Khan stood for we should stand for.
REPORTER: And this, he said, is why he continues to speak out--for the honor of his son, whom he is sure would support him.
KHIZR KHAN: He would be standing right here with his left hand on my left shoulder because that is the connection of my heart with him. He would be standing there and smiling. "Thank you."
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TED SIMONS: Senator McCain's office did not return requests for a response and McCain still supports Trump's presidential bid as the Republican candidate, but in a statement on McCain's website the Senator expresses his respect for the Khan's and reiterates his strong disagreement with Trump's remarks regarding the Khan family.
Thursday on Arizona Horizon, The University of Phoenix Stadium is celebrating its 10th anniversary. And the chair of the National Endowment of the Arts talks about the role of artists in a 21st century economy. That's on the next Arizona Horizon.
That is it for now. I'm Ted Simons, thank you so much for joining us. You have a great evening.
