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 Republican has made winning the support of veterans a key component of his campaign, vowing to overhaul the Veterans Affairs system if elected to office. But many veterans groups are among those blasting him for his recent remarks about Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of the Muslim-American soldier who died in the line of duty.
Last week, the Khans appeared at the Democratic National Convention to speak about their son, Humayun Khan, an Army captain who was killed in Iraq in 2004. In an emotional prime-time appearance, Khizr Khan denounced Trump's comments about Muslims, including his proposed ban on Muslims entering the country, and questioned whether Trump had read the Constitution or sacrificed for his country.
Trump recoiled at the remarks and invoked a Muslim stereotype that women are subservient to men when he asked why Ghazala Khan didn't speak while onstage at the Philadelphia convention. Trump also said that while their son was an American hero, Khizr Khan had "no right" to criticize him. Many have seized upon that statement as making Khan's point, as the First Amendment protects such speech.
Those are only Trump's latest comments to draw sharp rebuke from the right and the left.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, whom Trump has also insulted over his capture during the Vietnam War, lambasted the GOP nominee and said the remarks aren't reflective of the Republican Party. And veterans organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, also condemned the remarks Monday. The VFW is the nation's largest war veterans organization.
"Election year or not, the VFW will not tolerate anyone berating a Gold Star family member for exercising his or her right of speech or expression," said VFW national commander Brian Duffy. "There are certain sacrosanct subjects that no amount of wordsmithing can repair once crossed. Giving one's life to nation is the greatest sacrifice, followed closely by all Gold Star families, who have a right to make their voices heard."
Trump made only a veiled reference to the controversy Tuesday while blasting the media for what he says is unfair coverage.
Without mentioning the Khans, Trump questioned why Pat Smith, the mother of a U.S. information management officer who died in the 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, wasn't given equal media coverage following her appearance at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. A tearful Smith said she held then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton personally responsible for the death of her son, Sean Smith.
"It's so unfair. It's so unfair," Trump said. "We're running against a rigged press."
Trump also took aim at Clinton on a variety of fronts, saying she'll flip on her lack of support of the Trans Pacific Partnership _ a 12-country trade deal negotiated under President Barack Obama _ and will appoint as many as five "super libs" to the Supreme Court, if elected.
The Republican waded into another topic that's both earned him support and criticism in recent weeks _ his relationship with Russia. Trump has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and on Tuesday, called for the countries to unite in a battle against Muslim terrorists.
"Wouldn't it be great if we got along with Russia? If we actually had a relationship with Russia, instead of all the fighting and the money and the problems?" he asked, before adding that the U.S. should get Russia and other countries to partner in order to "knock the hell out of ISIS."
Clinton, he added, has a "terrible relationship" with Putin.
His relationship with the foreign leader has received new scrutiny in recent weeks after hackers released thousands of internal emails from the Democratic National Committee on July 22, fueling reports that Russia was behind the attack.
Trump later called for Russia to search for the thousands of emails that Clinton deleted from her private server after serving as the secretary of state _ earning criticism that he was essentially asking a foreign government to conduct espionage. He later insisted he was being sarcastic.
Earlier Tuesday, Obama said Trump is "unfit" and "woefully unprepared" for the Oval Office, and called for Republican leaders to withdraw their support for the candidate.
Trump deflected the attacks by saying Obama has failed the country in many ways, from negotiations with Iran over nuclear weapons, to immigration and veterans issues. And he warned the crowd that Clinton would only continue Obama's policies, saying "If you have four more years of Obama, our country is finished."
The crowd, many holding "Hillary for Prison 2016" signs, cheered in support of his Clinton criticisms. At one point, a pre-teen boy yelled more than once, "Take the bitch down!" when Trump mentioned Clinton.
A group of silent protesters, some wearing T-shirts that read "Black Lives Matter," were quietly escorted from the high school auditorium during Trump's hourlong address.
The candidate also asked, perhaps jokingly, for the parents of a crying baby to exit the room.
When the infant first began to cry, the Republican declared he loves children. But later, as the crying re-emerged, he said: "Actually I was only kidding. You can get the baby out of here."
"She really believed me that I love having a baby crying while I'm speaking," he continued. "People don't understand. That's OK."
It's unclear whether he was teasing, but a couple and a baby were soon observed leaving the rally.
Eugene DelGaudio, executive director of the conservative Public Advocate of the United States, brushed off Trump's at times bombastic remarks as an "improvisational" candidate "going for a laugh."
"His style is completely contradictory to any president we've ever had, except if you consider Teddy Roosevelt a good example. We've had great presidents who have done very strange things," he said.
DelGaudio, originally from New York but who now lives in Virginia, compared Trump to former President Ronald Reagan in his showmanship.
"Ronald Reagan was a very improvisational type candidate. He always said stuff that was completely misread and underestimated, and actually his style did scare the Soviets."
Arya Sivadhanam, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate, said he attended the rally with his friends out of curiosity about Trump and his supporters. The group chatted with Trump fans and some, like Sivadhanam, bemusedly held a "Hillary for Prison 2016" sign.
Still, the teenager _ whose parents came to the U.S. from India _ said he has some worries about Trump.
"My biggest concern is his attack on immigrants and the 'build the wall' thing," he said, referring to Trump's proposed 1,000-mile wall along the Mexican border. "It's all a huge propaganda to get him in office and get the vote, to appeal to the majority Caucasian crowd."
Asked if he shared those concerns with Trump supporters during their talks Tuesday morning, he said no.
"I don't think I want to put myself in danger by angering any people here," he said. "I'm just here for the experience and to have a good time, and see someone who could potentially be our president."
