Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), a vulnerable Republican incumbent engaged in a tough re-election fight, called Wednesday for Donald Trump to apologize to the parents of a deceased Muslim American soldier.
“I’ve spoken to a number of Gold Star moms and dads, and they just deserve our utmost respect. What else can you say? I can’t put myself in their position. I can’t imagine losing a child. I can’t imagine that sacrifice. So all you can do is respect it and honor it and that’s all that you should do,” Johnson said during an interview with Wisconsin radio host Charlie Sykes.
When asked what Trump should do, Johnson replied, “He should apologize.”
But when Sykes asked Johnson if he thought Trump would come out with an apology to the Khan family, the senator said “probably not.”
“We’ve been watching him,” Johnson added when Sykes asked why Trump won’t apologize.
Trump has not apologized, and said on Tuesday that he does not “regret anything” about his comments on the Khan family.
Johnson’s comments mark a change in talking points for the Republican senator. In his initial statement about Trump’s attacks on the Khans, Johnson didn’t mention Trump.
“Captain Humayun Khan, and all the Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, deserve our deepest respect and gratitude,” he said in a Monday statement. “I will always work to serve our nation’s service members and veterans, and honor those who gave their lives to defend our freedoms.”
In responding to Trump’s attacks on a Gold Star family, a few Republicans have directly condemned Trump or his comments, while many simply distanced themselves from him by calling Capt. Khan a hero.
