Trump is inspiring terrorists, father of fallen Muslim-American soldier tells ITV News
Jamie Roberton
Former Health and Science Producer
President Trump is inspiring acts of terrorism and putting the US in danger with his latest executive order targeting Muslims and refugees, the father of a fallen Muslim-American soldier has said.
Khizr Khan delivered a stirring speech at the Democratic National Convention last July in honour of his son Humayun, who was killed while defending his comrades from a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004.
He said his son would not have been allowed into America under a Trump administration.
And - in one of the most memorable images of the campaign - waved a pocket-sized Constitution and urged the then Republican candidate to read the document.
Reacting to Mr Trump's highly controversial policy banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, Mr Khan told ITV News that the order is a "disgrace" and would only serve to motivate those who wish to carry out atrocities on American soil.
"The world is watching - what a disgrace," Mr Khan said.
"How embarrassed my country and nation is because of that executive order.
"It was not thought through - it was designed to appease the racist, Islamophobes, misogynist voters of his campaign and a small number of racists and misogynists who have made it into the White House.
"It's unfair and makes my country unsafe, alienates patriotic Muslims and gives a platform to those who don't wish us well."
President Trump's policy, announced last Friday, has prompted global outcry and mass protests.
But the president has remained defiant, insisting the ban is necessary to protect Americans from "bad dudes".
On Monday night, he sacked the acting attorney general after she told justice department lawyers not to defend his order.
Theresa May became the first foreign leader to meet Mr Trump in the White House last week and is now under increasing pressure to cancel the president's planned state visit later in the year, with more than 1.5 million people signing an online petition.
Mr Khan urged Mrs May to listen to the growing wave of dissent and give Mr Trump a "taste of his own medicine" by banning him from the UK.
"As an ordinary citizen of the United States I can only appeal to the good people of the United Kingdom to sign that petition, appeal to the government not only to uninvite but ban Donald Trump from going to the United Kingdom," he said.