Gold Star Family Members Demand Apology From Trump Over 'Anti-American' Comments

Eleven Gold Star Families penned a letter to Donald Trump demanding an apology for "repugnant" and "personally offensive" remarks he made toward the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, a Muslim-American soldier who was killed in Iraq during combat in 2004. The letter was published by the progressive political action committee VoteVets.org.

The letter, released Sunday night, comes after Trump's response to Khizr and Ghazala Khan, who made headlines at the Democratic National Convention last week. Khizr Khan gave a speech in which he called Trump's proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S. "unconstitutional," while making the dramatic gesture of pulling a copy of the Constitution from his pocket and asking Trump directly: "[H]ave you even read the United States Constitution?" Khan went on to say that Trump had "sacrificed nothing and no one," in a scathing rebuke of the Republican candidate.

On Sunday Trump told ABC News's George Stephanopoulos that he made a lot of sacrifices for the country, including employing thousands of people. Trump also insinuated that Khan's wife Ghazala, who stood beside him as he spoke, was silent during the speech because of her religion.

Ghazala Khan later told ABC News she did not speak at the convention because it would have been too painful.

"Your recent comments regarding the Khan family were repugnant, and personally offensive to us," reads the joint letter published on VoteVets.org. "When you question a mother's pain, by implying that her religion, not her grief, kept her from addressing an arena of people, you are attacking us."

VoteVets has a history of supporting democratic candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based research group that tracks money in U.S. politics.

"We feel we must speak out and demand you apologize to the Khans, to all Gold Star families, and to all Americans for your offensive, and frankly anti-American, comments," the letter concluded.

The GOP candidate's latest remarks have caused widespread backlash as Democrats and Republicans alike have risen up to defend the Khan family.

Republican Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, and Republican House Leader, Paul Ryan, both issued statements strongly defending the Khans, while Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton bashed Trump for having "consistently insulted and demeaned individuals," throughout his campaign.