Gold Star father Khizr Khan endorses Joe Biden, plans to campaign for him

Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who offered a scathing rebuke of Donald Trump at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential bid on Monday.

“I’m supporting Joe Biden for President because of the America he stands for and the one he will fight for — the country that my son, Humayun Khan, believed in and fought for so bravely,” said Khan, referencing his son, a Muslim American soldier killed while serving in Iraq in 2004.

He continued, “Vice President Biden has always put the country above himself. From the days after he was first elected Senator to his time serving alongside President Obama, Vice President Biden has never wavered in his commitment to our country. President Donald Trump, on the other hand, has consistently chosen self over country, seeking the aid of totalitarian governments to sway elections and undermine our rule of law to serve his self-interest.”

Khan plans on campaigning for Biden in New Hampshire next month, a campaign official said.

At the Democratic National Convention in 2016, Khan, with his wife Ghazala at his side, paid tribute to their late son and offered a scathing rebuke of the then Republican-nominee Trump over his attacks on Muslims and immigrants.

“Donald Trump: You’re asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution?” Khan said as he pulled a copy of the Constitution out of his jacket pocket. “I will gladly lend you my copy.”

Khan became the target of subsequent attacks from Trump

In his endorsement of Biden, Khan, a Muslim immigrant, said, “Hate has no place in this country. Beating Donald Trump and the hatred he promotes is the top priority in this election. But after Trump is gone, we need someone to help unite us and help us heal. I trust Joe Biden to be that person because I know his heart like I know my own.”

The Khan couple attended a Virginia fundraiser for Biden last month, during which the former vice president acknowledged the attacks the family has endured from the President.

“I know as well, Mr. Khan, what you’ve gone through. I know just what you suffered and the humiliation,” Biden said. “I lost a son too and I’ve noticed what he’s trying to do to my living son.”