Khizr Khan took the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia Thursday to talk about his son, Humayun Khan, who graduated from the University of Virginia and enlisted in the army after the planes hit the Twin Towers. He was determined, Khan said, “to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.” Humayun was one of 14 American Muslims who died in military service in the decade since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America,” Khan said. “Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership.” Later, drawing a paperback pamphlet from his pocket, he added: “Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy.”
Then Khan delivered a devastating blow, addressing Trump directly: “You have sacrificed nothing,” he said. “You have sacrificed no one.”
The final night of the DNC has been packed with veterans and their relatives talking about patriotism and military service. It’s the sort of ensemble—retired military officials and Medal of Honor recipients—you would expect from a Republican convention. Instead, it came from the Democrats.
“We are stronger together,” Khan told the roaring crowd in Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. “We will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our president.”