Donald Trump’s attacks on Khan family roil race but may not alter it

Washington: Donald Trump’s swipe at the heartbroken parents of a Muslim-American war hero killed in Iraq has sparked condemnation across party lines, prompting top Republicans in Congress to distance themselves from the GOP presidential nominee, and for Democrat Hillary Clinton to reassess her own tack with voters during a weekend bus tour across Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine, may be tempted to see Trump’s tangles with the Khan family as a defining moment with 98 days left in the race. That’s especially true on the heels of Trump’s latest controversial statements. In recent days, he has criticized John Allen, a top retired Marine general who backs Clinton; stated he wishes Russia success in hacking Clinton’s e-mails; and appeared to justify Russian aggression in Ukraine.

There are many reasons why the Clinton and Trump campaigns believe these events may change nothing. "I don’t know where the bottom is," Clinton said during a stop for milkshakes and pictures with voters on Sunday at Grandpa’s Cheesebarn in Ashland, Ohio. "It’s hard to imagine anyone who has ever run to be president of the US saying any of what he’s said, and the accumulation of it all is just beyond my comprehension."

Clinton put out a statement in support of the Khans and amended her stump speech midway through the bus tour to attack Trump for criticizing the Khans and Allen. She told the congregation of a black church in the Cleveland area on Sunday, "I do tremble before those who would scapegoat other Americans, who would insult people because of their religion, ethnicity, disability." But one Clinton campaign adviser said Clinton stuck largely to a jobs-and-economy message. The adviser said the Clinton campaign knows it cannot just run a negative campaign against Trump and has to talk about what Clinton would do as president.