Trump seeks to refocus narrative after public spat with parents of slain soldier
ASHBURN, Va. _ Donald Trump tried change the news narrative Tuesday during a rally in suburban Virginia, re-focusing on his now-signature pledge to overhaul trade deals and build a border wall while avoiding his latest controversy: a high-profile spat with the parents of a slain Muslim-American soldier.
Hundreds packed into an Ashburn high school _ and countless more stood outside _ to hear the GOP nominee. Trump is making a swing primarily through the Northeast this week to try to win support from communities hit hard by job loss.
Trump opened the event by telling the crowd that a military veteran offered him his Purple Heart earlier that morning. Before bringing the elderly veteran onstage, the New York businessman _ who was exempted from military service _ declared: "Man, that's like big stuff. I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier."
_ The Dallas Morning News
