The commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars says Donald Trump's criticism of the parents of an Army captain killed in Iraq is unacceptable.

Brian Duffy, head of the 1.7-million-member VFW, said in a statement Monday that election year or not, the nation's oldest and largest war veterans group will not tolerate anyone berating a Gold Star family member for exercising their free speech. Gold Star families are those that have lost a close relative in military service.

Said Duffy: ''There are certain sacrosanct subjects that no amount of wordsmithing can repair once crossed.''