Story highlights Khizr Khan criticized Donald Trump's debate comments

"If I were president at that time, he would be alive today," Trump said

Washington (CNN) The Gold Star father who criticized Donald Trump at the Democratic National Convention this summer said Tuesday the Republican presidential nominee mentioning his slain son's name on the debate stage made him sad all over again.

"I was saddened all over again that this candidate lacks the character, lacks the ability to understand the pain of those that have sacrificed their lives in defense of this country," Khizr Khan, the father of a slain Muslim American soldier, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day" Tuesday. "And for this candidate to put his political expediency ahead of any realization of pain and suffering of the families is shameful."

Trump said during the debate: "First of all, Captain Khan is an American hero. If I were president at that time, he would be alive today, because unlike her who voted for the war without knowing what she was doing, I would not have had our people in Iraq. Iraq was a disaster. So he would have been alive today."

Khan, whose son was killed in the Iraq War, delivered a passionate appeal at the DNC in July to encourage voters to support Hillary Clinton. He said Trump smears "the character" of religious minorities like his family.

Khan said Tuesday he was shocked that Trump brought up his son's name again considering that his family has never heard from the candidate.

Read More