Air Force Mom Booed: Trump Running Mate Mike Pence Lets Crowd Jeer At Mom, Then Talks About Freedom [VIDEO[
A mother of a deployed U.S. Air Force officer has experienced how it is to be ganged up on in a public town hall event in Carson City, Nev. on Monday. In a Republican rally, Catherine Byrne, the mother of Staff Sgt. Raymond T. Harmon of the U.S. Air Force, was booed and jeered at after she asked Donald Trump's running mate, aspiring Vice President Mike Pence, about his views on the GOP nominee's treatment of veterans.
Byrne started her question by stating that her son currently serves in the U.S. Air Force, much to the crowd's delight. However, once the Air Force mom started her question about how Donald Trump is disrespecting America's armed forces and veterans, the crowd's change of heart was immediate.
Throughout her question, the angry crowd booed and jeered at her, drowning out her words. Despite this, however, the mother continued on.
"You've got a son in the military, how do you tolerate this disrespect?" she asked.
What was quite surprising was that Pence, who was supposed to be answering Byrne's questions, allowed the brutal booing and jeering to continue for about 10 seconds before asking the crowd to settle down.
"That's OK. That's what freedom looks like, and that's what freedom sounds like," Pence said, addressing the crowd.
The aspiring Vice President proceeded to praise the late Capt. Khan, who was killed in the Middle East and whose parents recently emerged as one of the staunchest critics of Donald Trump.
Over the course of the weekend, the spat between the GOP nominee and the fallen Capt. Khan's parents have reached new heights, with the Khans criticizing Trump for being unconstitutional and the GOP nominee alleging that the fallen Capt.'s mother was not allowed to speak due to her Muslim faith.
"Capt. Khan is an American hero and we honor him and honor his family," Pence said. "The story of Capt. Khan is an incredibly inspiring story."
The potential Vice President, however, also defended his running mate, stating that among the candidates for the 2016 presidential election, there is no one more dedicated to the armed forces than Donald Trump.
"I have never been around someone more devoted to the armed forces of this country. There is no one more devoted to the veterans in this country," Pence added.
Denise Martinez, who was among those who booed Byrne, stated that she believed Pence handled the situation masterfully.
"I thought he handled it really, really well," she said. "Looking back, I think I would've taken the high road. He handled it the right way, the way I wish Trump would have," she said.
Jack Christenson, a veteran and supporter of the GOP candidate, was less forgiving of the Air Force mother, stating that while Byrne might have had the right to ask her question, she "violated everyone else's rights" by speaking out at the event.
As for the mother who was booed and jeered at for asking a question, she simply stated that her expectations of the events did not align with what ultimately happened.
"It was supposed to be a town-hall-style event," she said.
