LEDYARD KING

THE NEWS-PRESS Washington bureau

WASHINGTON – Sen. Marco Rubio said Monday it's "unfortunate" that GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and the Muslim parents of a slain Army captain are feuding, choosing not to join some other Republicans who have condemned Trump’s behavior in the back-and-forth.

Rubio, who is running for re-election, tried to walk a middle path when questioned about Trump's feud with Khizr Khan and his wife, Ghazala Khan. He described the Khans' son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004, as a “hero,” but said he agrees with Trump that stronger measures are needed to prevent radical jihadists from entering the U.S.

“We have Americans who are Muslims who are patriotic and love this country, as evidenced by the Khan family,” the senator said. “We also know that there are parts of this world where there are terrorists that are trying to get into the United States, and it’s not that we don’t want to allow people in, it’s that in many cases we can’t because we don’t have a way to vet them.”

Khan blasts Trump's 'ignorance,' as feud continues

The Khans, who immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan, gave a moving tribute to their son on the last night of the Democratic National Convention Thursday. During his speech, Khizr Khan slammed Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States and asked of the GOP nominee, "Have you even read the U.S. Constitution?"

Put on the defensive, the brash billionaire attacked the parents, issued a statement saying Khan had “no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution, (which is false) and say many other inaccurate things.”

Some Republicans, notably Arizona Sen. John McCain, decried Trump’s remarks.

"In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier’s parents," McCain said in a statement Monday. "He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.”

McCain slams Trump for attacking Khan family

Rubio, who supports Trump's presidential campaign against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton despite some major policy disagreements with Trump, was more circumspect.

"I think it’s unfortunate,” the senator said of the situation. “Look, (Capt.) Khan is a hero, for every measure. I think his parents are heroes and they have a First Amendment right to speak out on their politics, as all Americans do. Their son died for the Constitution and I honor that. (But) let’s remember that (Capt.) Khan lost his life in the hands of radical jihadists. They took their view of their faith and used it to justify killing innocents and attacking them. So that’s why it’s a complex issue.”

Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, who is running for Rubio's seat, blasted Trump's comments about the Khans. He also criticized Rubio for not taking a harder stance against the real estate mogul.

“Captain Khan was a hero and his brave parents deserve unflinching gratitude for their sacrifice," Murphy said. "Instead, they were viciously attacked by Donald Trump, a bully who has put personal profit before serving our country at every opportunity."

Though he disagrees with Trump's call for a broad ban on allowing Muslims into the country, Rubio said more needs to be done to monitor who gets into the U.S.

"We live in a world now where we have to know exactly who’s coming in, why they’re coming, who they are, and what they’re up to,” he told reporters. “And that becomes harder when they’re coming from countries that don’t even have a functional government.”

Contributing: Eliza Collins, USA TODAY

Contact Ledyard King at lking@gannett.com; Twitter: @ledgeking