Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who gave a powerful speech condemning Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric during the Democratic National Convention and became a prominent voice speaking up against the Republican's indecencies, wrote Senate Judiciary Committee leaders today in opposition to the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general.
I love this country deeply and am grateful for the freedom and opportunities it has given to me and my family. I am also an attorney who reveres the rule of law, and most especially the United States Constitution. It is out of respect for our constitutional values, and not out of any personal disrespect for Sen. Jeff Sessions, that I am urging you not to confirm Mr. Sessions as U.S. Attorney General.
People around the world look to our Constitution with envy. They are inspired by its promise of equal protection of the law to everyone – not just people from powerful families, or a favored ethnic group or religious community. During the past 50 years, the United States has taken many significant steps to make sure that equal protection of the law is not just a promise, but a reality. That is especially true for one of the most cherished rights we enjoy as U.S. citizens, the right to vote. Protecting this sacred right is one of the most important responsibilities of the Attorney General, and that is one reason this position cannot be entrusted to Mr. Sessions.
Khan also noted that he was "well aware of the fact that the Republican Majority of this honorable Committee may confirm Sen. Sessions after an incomplete and less than thorough hearing.” You can read the full letter here.