Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has sparked controversy among her fellow Republicans for an insensitive tweet she made following the speech of Khizr Khan at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Khan is the father of slain United States Army Captain Humayun S.M. Khan, who died in 2004 during the Iraq War. Captain Khan was an American hero, saving the lives of ten of his fellow soldiers during a suicide bomb attack.
The elder Khan spoke in detail about his son’s service during the convention, but was also critical of the policies of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Khan noted that “If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the characters of Muslims.” Khan then addressed Trump directly, questioning if he had the knowledge to lead the country, saying “Let me ask you, have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. You have sacrificed nothing!”
While both Democrats and Republicans were impressed by Khan’s speech and thankful for the sacrifices his family has made for the country, Coulter took an entirely different approach to Khan’s address. Coulter took to Twitter following Khan’s speech, tweeting, “You know what this convention really needed?
An angry Muslim with a thick accent like Fareed Zacaria.” Backlash against Coulter was almost immediate, with many of her fellow Republicans saying that the political pundit had crossed a line. Many Twitter users responded to her tweet by saying that they found it completely reprehensible for Coulter to insult the race and religion of a man whose son had given his life for this country. Others question if Coulter has any compassion or empathy at all. For many, the incident is just another example of the chaos that Trump’s nomination has caused within the Republican Party.