Trump adviser Jason Miller says arguments between Khizr Khan and the GOP nominee are about a larger debate of "radical Islam." | AP Photo Trump adviser says 'radical Islam' focus of argument with Khan

A senior communications adviser for Donald Trump's campaign tried to explain statements the Republican nominee has made against Khizr Khan, a Muslim American who spoke out against Trump at the Democratic National Convention.

Jason Miller told Brian Stelter, host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," that the larger debate in the disagreements involving Khan and Trump is about radical Islam.


"The fact is that this is about radical Islamic terrorism and what we have to do as a country to make sure that our borders are safe and to make sure that we're screening people who are coming into this country," Miller said. "That's the larger debate that's going on here."

In response, Stelter repeatedly asked what Khan, the father of an American soldier killed in Iraq, had to do with radical Islam and why Miller kept redirecting his questions back to that specific topic.

Khan, who spoke during a prime-time spot at the Democratic convention, slammed the GOP nominee for his stance on not allowing Muslim immigrants to come to the U.S. Holding up a copy, Khan asked that night of Trump: "Have you even read the Constitution?"

On Saturday evening, Trump released a statement saying: "While I feel deeply for the loss of his son, Mr. Khan, who has never met me, has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim that I have never read the Constitution, which is false, and say many other inaccurate things."

Stelter challenged that statement Sunday, asking Miller why Trump would say Khan has no right to say what he did when it is protected by the First Amendment.

"What he's saying is that Mr. Trump has a right to defend himself," Miller said. "And to make clear what he's saying, this is about radical Islamic terrorism, and for him to be criticized like that he didn't think was fair."

After being pressed once again by Stelter, Miller said the discussion is about "radical Islamic terrorism" and "the fact that the media doesn't want to pick up and cover what's going on with this country."

Miller was challenged again by Stelter on how radical Islamic terrorism is linked to Khan.

"That's the broader debate that we're having. The broader debate that we're having is about the screening and the vetting that we're having for people who are coming into this country

"This is what the whole broader debate is about right now. This is not about Mr. Trump and Mr. Khan, this is about Mr. Trump and Hillary Clinton," Miller said.