Donald Trump has
been embroiled in fresh controversy after the mother of the murdered US
diplomat Chris Stevensaccused the Republican nominee of exploiting his death.
Mary Commanday has
appealed for an end to what she described as
the“opportunistic and
cynical use” of events in Benghazi by the Trump campaign.
Mr Stevens was
killed when Islamic militants stormed the US diplomatic compound in September
2012 while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State.
His death and that
of three other Americans in
Benghazi has been repeatedly cited by the Trump campaign as
evidence of Mrs Clinton’s lack of judgment and integrity.
In one of his many
tweets, Donald Trump wrote: “If you want to know about Hillary Clinton's
honesty and judgment, ask the family of Ambassador Stevens.”
Angered at the
politicisation of the Benghazi attacks by the Trump campaign, Mr Stevens’
mother wrote a letter to the
New York Times.
“As Ambassador J.
Christopher Stevens's mother, I am writing to object to any mention of his name
and death in Benghazi, Libya, by Donald Trump's campaign and the Republican
Party.
"I know for
certain that Chris would not have wanted his name or memory used in that
connection. I hope that there will be an immediate and permanent stop to this
opportunistic and cynical use by the campaign.”
If you want to know about Hillary Clinton's honesty & judgment, ask the
family of Ambassador Stevens.
— Donald J. Trump
(@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2016
During the
Republican convention in Cleveland the Benghazi deaths emerged as one of the
dominant themes as speakers lined up to attack Mrs Clinton.
Patricia Smith,
whose son Sean was one of the other three Americans to die, told delegates that
she blamed Mrs Clinton personally for what had happened.
Mr Trump’s son,
Donald Jr, also cited Benghazi as evidence of Mrs Clinton’s shortcomings.
“Secretary Clinton's
State Department ignored their request for help on the night in question and in
the weeks and months leading up to the attack," he told the convention.
"It was a tragedy and one that would be
repeated should she win the election. Who will take that call at 3 o'clock in
the morning?”
Last month Mr Stevens’ sister, Anne, told the
New Yorker that she did not blame the former Secretary of State for what had
happened in Benghazi.
However the language used in the New York
Times letter is far stronger and caps a difficult week for the Republicans.
What was supposed to be Mr Trump’s coronation
as the party’s presidential candidate was marred by Republican infighting
culminating in Ted Cruz, his rival for the nomination, refusing to endorse him
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