Thread: Air Force Mother Confronts Mike Pence Over Donald Trump's 'Disrespect' — Gets Booed

Air Force Mother Confronts Mike Pence Over Donald Trump's 'Disrespect' — Gets Booed

by Vaughn Hillyard
Aug 2 2016, 5:15 am ET

CARSON CITY — Mike Pence had only released a text statement in the more than 48 hours since Donald Trump questioned the mother and father of fallen U.S. soldier Humayun Khan.

He had avoided cameras and questions on Monday during his travels to Nevada after a weekend at home in Indianapolis.

But at a town hall in this Nevada town on Monday night, the Republican vice presidential nominee got the question — from a mother of an active Air Force staff sergeant:

"Time and time again Trump has disrespected our nation's armed forces and veterans — and his disrespect for Mr. Khan and his family is just an example of that," Catherine Byrne, the mother of Raymond Harmon, who is currently deployed in the Persian Gulf, said to Pence. "Will there ever be a point in time when you're able to look Trump in the eye and tell him
'Enough is enough?' You have a son in the military. How do you tolerate his disrespect?"

The crowd booed Byrne as she asked her question. Pence did attempt to quiet the jeers after she spoke, saying, "folks that's what freedom looks like and what freedom sounds like," to a smattering of applause.

Byrne's son, 27, has served since high school — having previously deployed to Iraq in 2009 and 2010. He re-enlisted and is now on his second deployment on a base in the United Arab Emirates.

"I felt disrespected," Byrne told NBC News after the event, regarding the crowd's overwhelming reaction to her. "And that was what my question was — disrespect toward the military. The crowd as a group booed me."

Pence, from the stage just feet away from Byrne, continued in his response by saying "Let me just say first I want to honor your son's service to the country and your family's service to the country, I truly do."

The Indiana governor went on to say that Captain Kahn is an "American hero and we honor him and honor his family."

He then went on to claim that Trump supports veterans "like no other leader in my lifetime."

"The only other thing I would say to you is having spent time with our nominee, I have never been around someone more devoted to the armed forces of this country, more devoted to the families of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marine and coast guard and no one more devoted to the veterans in this country," Pence said without any real evidence for such hyperbole. "Donald Trump supports our soldiers and supporters our veterans like no other leader in my lifetime."

After the event as Byrne left the venue, a woman passed by her and said, "You're brave for doing what you did."

When asked by NBC News how she would vote in November, however, the woman responded: "I'm still supporting Trump, but it's not good what he said."

Byrne said she is active on the Democrats' state central committee in Carson City.

"The most painful thing that could happen is losing a child, and offending someone who has gone through that is the lowest of the lows," Byrne told NBC News.

Later Monday night, speaking to Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC, Byrne said, "I knew that it was going to take bravery to mention Mr. Khan's name in that audience, I was ready and I was there for a while, but it was my opportunity to ask the candidates candid questions that are important to me."

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016...rump-s-n621391

Byrne said she is active on the Democrats' state central committee in Carson City.

Hey, Byrne, Donald Trump showed the Khan's NO DISRESPECT. In his very first interview when asked about it he called their son a hero and thanked them for their sacrifice, but of course, he would also defend his ban on Muslim immigration to protect our country and citizens.

He also asked a simple question about the mother who stood silent and wondered if she was allowed to speak. She was wearing a head dress and like many of us wondered if she was allowed to speak. Most mothers who have lost their children who involve themselves in political events usually want to say something. She didn't, and she later said it was because she didn't want to. Okay, what is the big deal?!

Her husband is an immigration lawyer, an Angry Muslim Immigration Lawyer who earns their livelihood arranging for Muslims to enter the United States. THAT IS WHY he hates Trump because Trump's ban would cut off his fees he earns handing our visas and citizenship to Muslims migrating to the United States during the period of the ban, put in place to protect Americans from Radical Islamic Terrorism.

This whole thing has been a fraud. A fraud by the Khans. A fraud by the DNC. A fraud by Hillary Supporters. A fraud by the Media. And it's time for Republicans and Trump Supporters to stand up and defend Donald Trump against these totally false claims and accusations. Trump showed these people absolutely NO DISRESPECT. NONE.

Do you Democrats really want to try to win an election on lies, deceptions, falsehoods, fake and phony sob stories??!! Is that what your son is fighting for Byrne??!! You think he's proud of you perpetuating a complete fraud against American voters exploiting your own son to gain attention and pity, on behalf of a pair of frauds upset that if Trump is elected their law business fees would decline because we're not admitting Muslims without a thorough vetting process??!!

DO YOU REALLY THINK YOUR SON IS PROUD OF YOU? I think your son is no more proud of you than the Khans son would be of them. You have both shamed the service of your sons and every member of the US military. Service to our country is based on honesty, integrity, truth, honor, fairness. No one in our military has ever expected to be above the the law or the rights of anyone else. No one in our military would want anyone attacking another person on a falsehood, a fraud, a deception and not expect that person whoever they may be to have the fair and equal right to strike back and set the record straight.

But, if that's what you want people to believe our military has now been reduced to, then God Help Us All.

SHAME ON YOU BYRNE, you phony Mom doing Hillary's bidding to perpetuate a fraud for the Democratic Party. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON YOU.

You deserved every BOO you got and good for the Trump Supporters who had the good sense to BOO YOU.

Yeah, I saw you standing there holding your Trump Pence sign as if you were a supporter, when you were just a plant for the Democratic State Committee. Apparently some people there knew you and what you were up to. Shame, shame on you.

And SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on the media for making a news story out of a total fraud.

And lest I forget, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on all our weak-kneed, stupid, spineless, render judgments on a sound byte Republicans who fall for a totally fraudulent set-up by the Democratic Party against our candidate. And yes, that's you Newt Gingrich, and you Paul Ryan, and you Meg Whitman, and you Rep. Hanna, and you Mitch McConnell and you John McCain and all the damn rest of you gutless cowards.

Thank God this is just a political campaign and not a real war, because none of us would want any of you dumb ass cowards watching our backs.

Governor Pence gave an excellent answer, showing her respect and honoring her son. She was a plant to get media attention and she did that. His comments that Donald Trump respected the military and that he would treat them well was a nice way to end the discussion.