Lee Zeldin Fails a Soldier’s Family

As an Army veteran himself, we might have thought that Mr. Zeldin would have publicly expressed sympathy for the Khans

Aug. 3, 2016

Editorial

We hoped that Representative Lee Zeldin, who endorsed Donald Trump for president, would have had a change of heart after hearing his inhumane reaction to the parents of a United States soldier who was killed in Iraq, Khizr and Ghazala Kahn, who appeared at the Democratic National Convention.

Mr. Trump both belittled their loss and implied that Ms. Kahn, who did not speak at the convention, might have been kept quiet by some implied un-American religious tradition. As it turned out, she explained in a sharp denunciation of Mr. Trump that appeared in The Washington Post afterward, she had been too upset to speak.

As an Army veteran himself, we might have thought that Mr. Zeldin would have publicly expressed sympathy for the Khans, whose son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, was killed by a car bomber. His action that day was credited with saving the lives of his fellow troops and nearby civilians, and he was posthumously awarded both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. But, by not making a strong denunciation immediately, Mr. Zeldin has failed his district. This is not the first time.

In June, he said in a CNN interview that President Obama was a racist, not Mr. Trump. For these views alone, Mr. Zeldin should not be returned to Washington in the November election.

In keeping with several other publications that have begun to make early endorsements of Hillary Clinton in light of Mr. Trump’s dangerous views and uncontrolled ravings, we strongly endorse Anna Throne-Holst. Though we had concerns about her in the Democratic primary, she is the far better choice when up against Mr. Zeldin, who has failed a fellow veteran’s family on the most public of stages.

We believe it is critical that anti-Zeldin voters make a point of registering here and being at the local polls on Nov. 8. Though New York State is at this point considered an easy win for Mrs. Clinton, down-ticket races, like for who will represent the First Congressional District, are hugely important. Part-time residents who have considered whether to vote here in the past should know that this year their votes, if placed on the South Fork, will be tremendously important.

By having had the opportunity many times but failed to renounce his support for Mr. Trump’s fascist and megalomanic views, Mr. Zeldin has shown that he is the wrong representative for this diverse district, where equal respect for all is among the traits that residents value most.