If Donald Trump could just “let it go” once in a while, the national media might actually report on Hillary’s crass lies at the Democratic National Convention. But, no, Trump’s a natural performer in the style of Kardashian and Jersey Shore “reality” stars, reacting foolishly to verbal slights.
This week, the press could be reporting on the news that Hillary Clinton lied in her convention speech about helping a little girl in a wheelchair who couldn’t go to school due to a lack of wheelchair-accessible walkways and buses.
That’s not going to happen, because Trump wrapped his gummy lips around the baited hook thrown his way by Khzir Khan, an immigration lawyer reportedly specializing in Muslim immigration to the U.S.
Khan has deep ties to the Clintons, but that has been overshadowed by Trump questioning why Ghazala Khan, whose son was killed by an IED while serving in the U.S. Army, did not speak at her convention appearance.
Ghazala said it’s because she misses her son so much that she would not be able to speak.
Trump questioned if Khzir wrote the speech himself, which he says he did.
Khan trolled Trump directly, holding a pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution in his hand and waving it in the camera, saying, “Donald Trump, you’re asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?” he said. “I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words, look for the words, liberty and equal protection (under) law.”
“You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”
Confronted with this on ABC, Trump responded in his usual thickheaded way, mumbling about making some sacrifices and saying Khan had “no right” to question his knowledge of the constitution.
Trump was cringingly wrong on both points.
You don’t have to be a seasoned politician skilled at weasel-wording answers to recognize immediately that any sacrifice you have made building a successful business has no comparison to a family that has lost a loved one in battle.
Trump somehow doesn’t get it.
And because of that, too few Americans will know that Hillary lied about helping a little girl in a wheelchair in 1973.
In her convention speech, Hillary mesmerized her tearful audience when she claimed she “went to work for the Children’s Defense Fund” in New Bedford, Mass., going door-to-door on behalf of disabled kids denied the opportunity to go to school:
“I remember meeting a young girl in a wheelchair on the small back porch of her house. She told me how badly she wanted to go to school ---- it just didn’t seem possible in those days. And I couldn’t stop thinking of my mother and what she’d gone through as a child.
“It became clear to me that simply caring is not enough. To drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws. You need both understanding and action.
“So we gathered facts. We built a coalition. And our work helped convince Congress to ensure access to education for all students with disabilities.”
In New Bedford, the story seemed fishy to some people, including Chris McCarthy at WBSM.McCarthy contacted John Markey, who was mayor back in 1973, the time when Hillary said she saved this little girl from a lifetime of ignorance.
Mayor Markey said, “We had a budget for vans with drivers and provided services to students with disabilities....I actually spent an entire day in 1973 in a wheelchair to better understand the challenges they face everyday. Soon after that we were cutting out sidewalks for wheelchairs and doing things in New Bedford before the laws ever compelled us to.”
Now, Hillary is also running around claiming the FBI said she told them the truth about her illegal email server, while the real truth is that Director Comey said just the opposite; that she did not tell the truth.
If only Trump could put a sock in it, the world would know she’s still a dangerously compulsive liar.
Contact Rick at rick@wdel.com, or follow him on Twitter @Jensen1150WDEL