Clinton Calls on Americans to 'Stand With' Parents of Muslim U.S. Soldier

JOHNSTOWN, Pennsylvania -- Hillary Clinton on Saturday called on Americans to "stand with" the parents of a fallen Muslim U.S. soldier following Donald Trump's rebuke of the couple.

"I was very moved to see Ghazala Khan stand bravely and with dignity in support of her son on Thursday night. And I was very moved to hear her speak last night, bravely and with dignity, about her son's life and the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country," the Democratic nominee said in a statement, referring to the mother of Army Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004.

His father, Khazir Khan, offered a scathing critique of Trump during remarks at the Democratic National Convention last week, saying the Republican nominee has "sacrificed nothing" for his country. His wife, Ghazala Khan, stood by his side.

In his first response to Khan's charges, Donald Trump claimed that he had in fact sacrificed by employing "thousands and thousands of people." He also suggested that Khan's wife didn't speak because she was forbidden to as a Muslim and questioned whether Khan's words were his own.

"If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say. You tell me," the Republican nominee said in an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that will air on "This Week" on Sunday.

In an interview with MSNBC on Friday, Ghazala Khan explained that she chose not to speak at the DNC.

"I was very nervous because I cannot see my son's picture. I cannot even come in the room where his pictures are. That's why when I saw his picture at my back I couldn't take it. It is very hard," she said.

Clinton on Saturday stood by the Khans, also saying in the statement: "This is a time for all Americans to stand with the Khans, and with all the families whose children have died in service to our country. And this is a time to honor the sacrifice of Captain Khan and all the fallen. Captain Khan and his family represent the best of America, and we salute them."