CREDIT: AP Photo/Richard Drew
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, listens as Al Baldasaro, a New Hampshire state representative, speaks during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, May 31, 2016
An official adviser to the Trump campaign has escalated the attacks on Khizr Khan, the gold star father who was critical of Trump at the Democratic convention, baselessly accusing him of being a “Muslim Brotherhood agent.”
The adviser, Al Baldasaro, tweeted a link to an article from Shoebat.com, a fringe anti-Islam conspiracy website. The article also suggests (without any evidence) that Humayun Khan, who was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze, was a jihadist who joined the military to kill Americans.
Read the truth about your hero, Mr Khan who used his son as Political Pawn @CNN @FoxNews @hooger123 @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/Nrt7CEU3ua
— Rep Al Baldasaro (@Al_Baldasaro) August 1, 2016
Mr Khan, shame on you & #CrookedHillary for not being truthful to all in attacks at @realDonaldTrump @CNN @FoxNews https://t.co/Nrt7CEU3ua
— Rep Al Baldasaro (@Al_Baldasaro) August 1, 2016
The piece, written by Theodore and Walid Shoebat, is less of an article and more of a fever dream of conspiracies strung together. It is all based on a 1983 law review article on Islamic Law published in the Houston Journal Of International Law. From there, the Shoebats are off to the races, accusing Khan of being a “a Muslim plant working with the Hillary Clinton campaign” and suggesting his son was a double agent “working for the US and Al-Qaeda… killed before his Islamist mission was accomplished.”
The piece also revives discredited attacks linking Huma Abedin, a top adviser to Hillary Clinton, to the Muslim Brotherhood.
In recent days, Theodore Shoebat has also called on the government to execute gay people for sodomy and Hillary Clinton for witchcraft. He also said women who have abortions should be lined up and shot by firing squad.
He is now a trusted source of information by members of the Trump campaign.
The article was also promoted by Roger Stone, one of Trump’s oldest and most influential advisers. Stone left the campaign in 2015 but is still in regular contact with Trump, providing political advice.
Mr. Khan more than an aggrieved father of a Muslim son- he's Muslim Brotherhood agent helping Hillary https://t.co/mJuUYw60nK
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) August 1, 2016
In July, Baldasaro called on Hillary Clinton to be “put in the firing line and shot treason.” Baldasaro refused to apologize.
In a statement to the Washington Post, the Trump campaign said they “do not agree” with Baldasaro but were “incredibly grateful for his support.” They did not sever ties with him. The Boston Globe reports Baldasaro is “not some marginal figure in Trump’s world” but “advises the candidate on veterans issues and he’s appeared with Trump at numerous events.”
Trump appeared with Baldasaro at an event in Trump Tower in May.
The Trump campaign and Baldasaro did not immediately return requests for comment.