POLL: GI's family should get an apology, Cotton says

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump should apologize for his criticism of Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Muslim parents of a U.S. Army captain killed in Iraq, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton said Tuesday.

"I think he should express his regret and apologize for what he said to the Khans and again to all Gold Star families," the Republican from Dardanelle told reporters after he spoke in front of about 150 people at a Political Animals Club luncheon in west Little Rock.

The term "Gold Star" refers to families that have lost loved ones in military service.

Cotton, who served in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and Iraq, said: "There are about 7,000 of these families. They are a diverse group. Some support Donald Trump. I have heard from some of them who support Donald Trump and want him to win. Some obviously support Hillary Clinton."

Trump has criticized last week's Democratic National Convention speech by Khizr Khan, who was born in Pakistan. Khan, with his wife standing beside him, asked whether Trump had ever read the U.S. Constitution and addressed Trump, saying, "You have sacrificed nothing."

Trump responded to Khan's speech, saying: "While I feel deeply for the loss of his son, Mr. Khan, who has never met me, had no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution (which is false) and say many inaccurate things." Trump also criticized Khan's wife, saying she "had nothing to say" while she stood at Khan's side during the speech.

Cotton said Tuesday of Trump that "the best course of action for him at this point is to express regret for what he said, to apologize and to move forward to focus on a real issue.

"In the last four or five days over the weekend in the middle of this controversy, we got an economic growth report that shows we have the weakest economy since World War II, and Hillary Clinton yet again lied to the American people about her [email] server. She lied about the lie she told previously. That is what he should be focused on," said Cotton, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015 and represented Arkansas' 4th Congressional District from 2013-15.

Republican Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin of Little Rock said Tuesday in a written statement that "All Gold Star parents deserve our respect and care, and both major candidates for President would do well to honor the service of our fallen heroes, apologize to their families, and pray for their comfort and peace."

A written statement also came from Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack of Rogers, who said Tuesday: "Grieving families deserve comfort, not criticism -- and our Gold Star families have paid the ultimate price to keep our nation free and secure. Their loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our great nation, and therefore we owe them the utmost respect."

Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs had no comment about Trump's criticism of the parents of the Muslim soldier who died in Iraq, Westerman's spokesman Ryan Saylor said Tuesday.

For the second consecutive day, a spokesman for Republican U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro could not be reached for comment by telephone or email.

On Monday, Republican U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Rogers and his Democratic challenger, Conner Eldridge of Fayetteville, panned Trump over his remarks about the Khans.

In addition, Democratic congressional candidate Dianne Curry of Little Rock criticized Trump for his remarks, while Republicans such as U.S. Rep. French Hill of Little Rock, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge issued statements saying they honor the service and sacrifice of Capt. Humayun Khan, the Khans' deceased son.

Cotton said he has disagreed with Trump on his statements and policies at times but that "in the end, I am confident that the American people will be safer and more prosperous with a Republican president and a Republican Congress."

"With a Republican Congress, we will pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. Trump will sign it. Clinton won't," Cotton said.

Obamacare is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which President Barack Obama signed in 2010. As part of it, Arkansas is providing private insurance for more than 200,000 low-income residents under the state's version of Medicaid expansion, which the federal government allowed.

"We will pass real immigration reform ... [to] enforce our border and enforce our laws. Trump will sign it. Clinton won't," Cotton said. "We will pass a law to increase our defense budget. Trump will sign it. Clinton won't."

Cotton said he's confident that Trump will be aware of who is in NATO and of America's obligations under NATO by the time the election is over on Nov. 8. Trump has said the country might not defend NATO members that haven't met their full financial obligations to the organization.

"He is a successful businessman and, if the American people elect him in November, I think the American people with a Republican Congress are going to be safer and more prosperous than we have been the last seven years or would be under Hillary Clinton," he said.

Cotton said he supports placing "a fence" on America's southern border, "probably a double-sided fence with different kinds of technology augmenting it."

"There needs to be a physical barrier that is the outward expression of our inward determination to control our borders and enforce our immigration laws," he said.

Asked whether the U.S. could make Mexico pay for the fence, Cotton replied, "We could, probably, with some tough negotiations, get them to pitch in.

"Mexico is very tough on their southern border," he said. "There is no reason why they shouldn't cooperate with us on another border. We are one of their biggest trading partners, and they need American support in a lot of different ways. I am not sure we can make them pay for the whole thing. But we can probably make it a joint financial effort."

A Section on 08/03/2016