The toxicity of Trump’s latest comments to the parents of Capt. Khan is undeniable. No one can stand with him without tarnishing their reputation and be forever labeled a hypocrite. Sarah Palin cannot stand with him and extol the service of her son. James Dobson cannot stand with him and extol the virtue of family values. Laura Ingraham cannot stand with him and extol patriotic values. Compared to Trump, Cruz looks decent. That’s how bad this is. His words are so toxic, that merely avoiding him is not enough. Silence is not enough. He must be condemned and then shunned. Serious people like John Kasich understand that:
There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect. Capt. Khan is a hero. Together, we should pray for his family.
This problem is not Trump’s alone. Contrary to what he claims, he did not arrive where he did alone. He was helped. And now he is a problem of national proportions. But his naked embrace of fascism, racism, and militarism is not an American problem. It’s a Republican problem. Republicans created this problem. Republicans have to solve it or suffer the natural consequences of their poor choices. No one else can help them or save them from themselves. That’s their responsibility. If they want to save their party, they will have to denounce him clearly, publicly, and unequivocally. There are some stains that never wash out. This is one of them.
Run a candidate who acts like Caligula, expect him to meet Caligula’s fate. There is only one response to this travesty that any decent American can have. As long as Donald Trump is a Republican candidate for President of the United States, we have to hang this albatross around all their necks and remind everyone, every time Donald Trump opens his mouth, they are not listening to Donald Trump. They are listening to the GOP candidate for President of the United States.
Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks
Had I from old and young !
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.
-- Coleridge, The Rime of The Ancient Mariner