'Why are you still endorsing him?' Obama asks Republican leaders about Trump
'What does this say about your party?' U.S. president asks
U.S. President Barack Obama slammed Donald Trump as "woefully unprepared" to serve in the White House on Tuesday and challenged Republican lawmakers to drop their support for their party's nominee. "There has to come a point at which you say enough," Obama declared.
The president's blistering comments came on the heels of Trump's criticism of an American Muslim family whose son, a captain in the U.S. Army, was killed in Iraq. A growing number of GOP lawmakers are voicing concern about Trump's comments, but most of those who have endorsed him are sticking by that stance.
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"If you are repeatedly having to say, in very strong terms, that what he has said is unacceptable, why are you still endorsing him?" Obama asked during a White House news conference. "What does this say about your party that this is your standard-bearer?"
The president said his opposition to Trump is about more than policy differences. He said that while he disagreed with his Republican opponents in the 2008 and 2012 elections, he never thought they were unfit to do the job.
If I were president, his son wouldn't have died.— Donald Trump, referring to Khizr Khan
Obama has made clear he plans to be an active player in the White House race, campaigning around the country for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. He and his wife Michelle spoke at last week's Democratic convention in Philadelphia, where Khizr and Ghazala Khan also made an appearance.
Trump responded with a statement that summarized the points he makes in his stump speeches: "Obama-Clinton have single-handedly destabilized the Middle East ... released criminal aliens into our country who killed one innocent American after another ... produced the worst recovery since the Great Depression [and] shipped millions of our best jobs overseas."
Tuesday afternoon on Twitter, Trump wrote, "President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!"
President Obama will go down as perhaps the worst president in the history of the United States!
—@realDonaldTrumpKhizr Khan criticized Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslims coming to the United States and challenged whether he had read the Constitution. Trump has questioned why Ghazala Khan did not speak, implying her religion prevented her from doing so, and has said he was "viciously attacked" by Khizr Khan.
Familiar pattern
Trump's criticism of the Khans is part of a familiar pattern for the Republican nominee: He can't let go of a perceived slight, no matter the potential damage to his presidential campaign or political reputation.
Trump spent the days after winning the Republican nomination criticizing a U.S. district court judge's Mexican heritage. The morning after accepting the Republican nomination at the party's convention, he re-opened months-old grievances with primary rival Ted Cruz.
His feud with the Khan family, however, has heightened concerns among Republicans — not just because of the optics of tangling with a military family, but because Trump is picking the fight just three months from Election Day.
Those who have worked with Trump say that in private meetings, he can often appear amenable to putting a controversy aside. But the businessman can quickly be drawn back in by an interview, especially if he believes he's already answered the question, or if he grows irritated by commentary on cable television.
The only way to ensure Trump moves on is to wait for him to tire of an issue or get drawn into another matter, according to those who have worked with him.
Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker who has advised Trump, said the candidate's inability to back away from a political land mine "makes him vulnerable."
"His whole experience up until running for office was in a very combative New York media market," Gingrich said. "He's been doing it now for over 30 years. It's a very deeply held habit."
Emotional address
Khizr Khan delivered an emotional address at last week's Democratic convention, with his wife standing by his side. The Pakistan-born Khan told the story of his son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart after his death in 2004.
Trump's unwillingness to let the matter subside sparked outrage Monday from several Republicans.
Arizona Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war, said Trump did not have "unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us." Congressman Mike Coffman, a vulnerable Republican in a competitive Colorado district, said he was "deeply offended when Trump fails to honor the sacrifices of all of our brave soldiers who were lost in that war." Missouri Senator Roy Blunt said the Khans "deserve to be heard and respected."
"My advice to Donald Trump has been and will continue to be to focus on jobs and national security and stop responding to every criticism whether it's from a grieving family or Hillary Clinton," Blunt said in a statement.
But when asked about Khizr Khan on Fox News Channel's Hannity, Trump responded, "His son died 12 years ago. … If I were president, his son wouldn't have died, because I wouldn't have been in the war, if I was president back then."
Trump didn't raise the controversy during rallies Monday in Ohio and Pennsylvania. His supporters dismissed the matter.
But the real test for Trump isn't the opinion of the loyal supporters who attend his rallies. It's the broader general election audience, a far more diverse group still weighing his readiness for the White House.