Capt. Khan's Arlington Grave Attracts Visitors After Trump Feud

Arlington National Cemetery visitors spoke to ABC about Capt. Khan and Trump.

ByABC News
August 1, 2016, 4:48 PM

— -- As Donald Trump continues to feud with the parents of Army Captain Humayun Khan, a Muslim American who was killed by a car bomb in 2004 while serving in Iraq, visitors to Arlington National Cemetery are stopping by the fallen soldier's grave to pay their respects.

The burial site, marked by a star and crescent, is surrounded by flowers placed by strangers following the family's powerful rebuke of Trump at the Democratic National Convention last Thursday. Kizer Khan said Trump has “sacrificed nothing” and pulled a Constitution out of his pocket, asking Trump if he’s even read the document.

Trump tweeted in response that Khan “viciously attacked” him and suggested, to much criticism, that Khan’s wife wasn’t allowed to speak during the DNC address.

ABC News spoke with visitors to Khan’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery, who offered their own criticism of Trump.

“Whatever your nationality or your ethnic background or religion,” said Tony Dowell, who brought his children to Khan’s grave, “you can still be an American hero. For Donald Trump to attack the father and mother of a fallen American hero for that is beyond the pale.”

Dowell’s son, Jake, compared the Khans' grief to his own after his mother’s death, arguing that no family should be criticized for how it grieves.

“The Khan family has chosen to promote their religion and promote freedom for people in the religion in their country from their son’s sacrifice,” he said, “and I think that’s a beautiful thing. It’s kind of the definition of the American dream — to work with the best of your ability the circumstances you’ve been given.”

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