The Media Standoff Between Trump and a Gold Star Family

Trump’s Feud With Slain Soldier: Founder of New Michigan Media Hayg Oshagan Weighs In

The U.S. Army, License: CC Attribution 2.0, changes made

Over the weekend Donald Trump was part of a strange media stand-off with the parents of an American soldier who was killed in Iraq.

The Khan family is Muslim, and the husband, Khizr Khan, spoke at the Democratic National Convention about his son’s sacrifice. His wife, Ghazala Khan, appeared alongside her husband on stage, but she didn’t speak. Donald Trump suggested she didn’t talk because Islam precluded her from doing so. That wasn’t the case, and now the Khan’s have launched, with the DNC, a full-on media campaign against Trump for his comments.

Meanwhile, top Republicans such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued statements in an attempt to put a lot of distance between themselves and Trump. Donald Trump continues to make comments about the Khan family that only seem to make the situation worse.

Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson is joined by Hayg Oshagan, associate professor of communication with a specialization in ethnic and minority media at Wayne State University.

“It’s beyond the Muslim issue,” says Oshagan. “To me it’s really a matter of character for Mr. Trump. He acts like a CEO. He acts as if he’s responsible or beholden to no one… as if no one should be criticizing him. The idea of a public servent has in it the word ‘servant’.”

To hear more of the conversation on Detroit Today, click on the audio player above.

 

 

 

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  • Detroit Today
    Dynamic and diverse voices. News, politics, community and the issues that define our region. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson, Detroit Today brings you fresh and perceptive views weekdays at 9 am and 7 pm.