Clint Eastwood, who spurred a social media storm with comments during his interview with Esquire magazine , says the grieving military family featured during the Democratic National Convention and then embroiled in a war of words with Donald Trump was "exploited" by the DNC.
Credit: Getty Images
Credit: Getty Images
MORE: Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks in downtown Atlanta while filming "Sully"
Trump's online clashes with the grieving relatives of Army Capt. Humayun Khan, a Muslim-American solider killed in Iraq, has earned him scorn from both sides of the aisle.
Khizr Khan delivered a stinging rebuke of Donald Trump during the convention, blasting what he called the GOP nominee's "disrepect" of minorities. Khizr Khan said he would "gladly" lend Donald Trump a copy of the U.S. Constitution he carries in his suit pocket. Watch the full video of his remarks here.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
U.S. Sen. John McCain, a Vietnam War hero who endured an arduous stint as a POW, released this statement following Trump's subsequent remarks about the Khan family:
"In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents. He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates."
Eastwood's Esquire interview with his son, actor Scott Eastwood, was probably hatched to promote both actors' upcoming projects. But the elder Eastwood's comments on Trump and the state of race relations has fueled headlines.
"What do I care?" Eastwood said when a TMZ cameraman caught up with him after the social media firestorm and asked if he feared young people would stay away from his movies.
Then as during his Esquire interview, he did not endorse Trump, and criticized him for tangling with the Khan family.
"I think he made a mistake," Eastwood said. "You don’t have to be rude to somebody."
But again, as during his magazine interview, he pointed blame at both parties.
"The other guy was being exploited," Eastwood said. "That’s not good, either."
