The Media Has Spun Out Of Control

It started at the DNC. It’s important to remember that. Khizr Khan and his wife were featured there, where he bitterly criticized Donald Trump for his comments concerning Muslims. Khizr pointedly asked, “Have you even read the United States Constitution?” in reference to Trump.

I don’t know about you, but if someone went on a nationally televised event, and said, “Carolyn Fields, have you ever even read the United States Constitution?” I would feel personally attacked.

In response, Trump said this: “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.”

He also said, “I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard.” He also states that Khan “was, you know, very emotional and probably looked like a nice guy to me.” His campaign later released a statement calling Captain Khan (Khizr’s son) “a hero to our country.”

What the media seized upon was Trump's remark, “I’d like to hear his wife say something.” It should be noted that Khizr’s wife sat next to him during the speech, and never uttered a word. If Hillary had said that, she would have been praised for her promotion of women’s equal rights.

Here are a few clips from the media:

(The Guardian) Trump has repeatedly fired back at Khan for “viciously attacking” him and suggested that Khan didn’t allow his wife to speak because of their Muslim faith. [That’s a reach. He never said that, although you could certainly imply it]

(LA Times) The controversy over his jibes at the Muslim parents of a soldier killed in action continued to overshadow Donald Trump’s campaign Monday as he struggled to prevent broader defections among nervous Republicans after days of self-induced trouble. [Actually, his supporters are unmoved]

(CNN) By any conventional standard, Donald Trump just blundered through the worst three days of any presidential candidate in living memory.

Pat Smith spoke at the RNC. Her son was killed in Benghazi along with three others, when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State. Pat blamed Hillary personally for the death of her son, adding that the then-secretary lied about the attack, claiming the violence was started by an anti-Islam video.

Clinton denies this. Her response in an interview with Mike Wallace was: “You know, look, I feel a great deal of sympathy for the families of the four brave Americans that we lost at Benghazi. And I certainly can’t even imagine the grief that she has for losing her son. But she’s wrong. She’s absolutely wrong.” She added, “I understand the grief and the incredible sense of loss that can motivate that. As other members of families who lost loved ones have said, that’s not what they heard, I don’t hold any ill feeling for someone who in that moment may not fully recall everything that was or wasn’t said.”

So, Hillary Clinton just called Pat Smith, a Gold Star Mother, a liar. On national television. Where is the outrage for this? Of course, Hillary was much, much better than Donald at expressing her sympathy. But aren’t Gold Star parents supposed to be “off limits?” I guess what’s good for the goose isn’t necessary good for the gander. At least in politics anyway.

The above makes it clear what we all knew, but were afraid to say out loud: People’s reactions to a grieving parent align with their partisan perspective. If it’s the RNC, and you’re a democrat, Pat Smith showed the “unabashed exploitation of private people’s grief.” If it’s the DNC, and you are a Republican, you see that the Democrats showcasing of the Khans is a mirror image of showcasing Smith, and equally as offensive in terms of exploiting grief. Either way, nobody wins. Especially the American public.

Just a few more facts about Khizr Khan. He is a lawyer - we all know that. What type of law does he practice? He engages in procurement of EB5 immigration visas and other “Related Immigration Services.” The EB5 program essentially helps wealthy foreigners buy their way into America (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/should-congress-let-wealthy-foreigners-buy-citizenship/406432/ ). After the big media blow-up, his website (which has been removed from the internet) revealed that Khan spent nearly a decade working for the mega-D.C. law firm Hogan & Hartson—now Hogan Lovells LLP—which connects him directly with the government of Saudi Arabia and the Clintons themselves. Big oops. But the mainstream media will never report this story. Mark my words.