A Gold Star father who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation's highest civilian honor — slammed former President Donald Trump over his comments that the civilian honor is better than the Medal of Honor — the nation's high est military award — because the later is often given to soldiers wounded or killed in combat. “I watched Sheldon sitting so proud in the White House when we gave Miriam the Presidential Medal of Freedom," Trump said. "That’s the highest award you can get as a civilian, it’s the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
" He added: "But civilian version, it’s actually much better because everyone [who] gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, they're soldiers. They’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead. She gets it, and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman, and they’re rated equal, but she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and she got it for — and that’s through committees and everything else.
” Khizr Khan , father of fallen Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq saving the lives of his fellow soldiers, spoke with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins on Friday night and rebuked Trump's comments. "I was saddened and appalled.
That's typical Trump — hate and division. These awards are acknowledgment of a grateful nation, of the service of the recipient. And to create a division and a comparison, each award has its own significance and we must honor .