JIM ACOSTA (HOST): What is your response to Donald Trump this morning? 

KHIZR KHAN: I appreciate his response, his press release that was issued last night confirming that he accepts my son as a hero of this country. But to answer your question, his policies, his practices, do not reflect that he has any understanding of the basic, fundamental constitutional principles of this country, what makes this country exceptional, what makes this country exceptional in the history of the mankind. There are principles of equal dignity, principle of liberty. He talks about excluding people, disrespecting judges, the entire judicial system, immigrants, Muslim immigrants. These are divisive rhetoric that is totally against the basic constitutional principle. If you read the Constitution, you will either deliberately would be violating those principles or you have not read. That is why I have watched whole ear and rest of the world has watched, and the love and affection and support that we have received after my statement, at every corner of the street, at every place. The affection, the support, the love that I have received, that we continue to receive is a testament that he is talking about ignorance. He is not fully aware of these principles. 

ACOSTA: In the same interview that Donald Trump gave in response to your speech he seemed to go after your wife, suggesting that perhaps she didn't speak at the convention because of your Muslim faith. Let's take a listen to that. 

[BEGIN VIDEO]

DONALD TRUMP: His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there, she had nothing to say. She probably -- maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say. You tell me. But plenty of people have written that. 

[END VIDEO]

ACOSTA: What's your response to that? 

KHAN: That's, again, height of ignorance on a part of a candidate for the highest office of this nation. Two things are absolutely necessary in any leader or any person that aspires, wishes, to be a leader. That is moral compass and second is empathy. This candidate is void of both traits that are necessary for the stewardship of this country. 

ACOSTA: You don't believe he's fit to be president? 

KHAN: I do not believe his whole year-long rhetoric, division, excluding people, talking about them derogatorily, has prepared him. He promised to the Republican leadership that he will change his manner, he will not be as ignorant as he had been. But he had continued. Those two traits of moral compass and empathy are absolutely necessary for the leader of a free world leader of nation like United States. 

ACOSTA: And for all of those viewers out there who are wondering why your wife stood by you silently during the convention.

KHAN: Her medical condition. She has written an op-ed in her own words, her own voice, why didn't she speak. I invited her that, “when you come to the stage, can you say thank you for inviting us, my husband will speak further.” She said, “you know my condition. When I see my son's picture, I cannot hold myself together.” For this candidate for presidency to not be aware of the respect of a gold star mother standing there, and he had to take that shot at her, this is height of ignorance. This is why I showed him that Constitution. Had he read that, he would know what status a gold star mother holds in that nation. This country holds such a person in the highest regard. And he has no knowledge, no awareness. That is height of his ignorance. She is ill. She had high blood pressure. People that know her, looked at her face, and she said, “I may fall off the stage.” And I told her that, you have to assemble yourself and stand for the beauty of this tribute that is being paid. This person is total incapable of empathy. I want his family to counsel him, teach him some empathy. He will be a better person if he could become -- but he is a black soul. And this is totally unfit for the leadership of this beautiful country, the love and affection that we have received affirms that our beliefs, our experience in this country had been correct and positive. The world is receiving us like we have never seen. They have seen the blackness of his character, of his soul, that he is void of recognizing, empathizing with people. 

Related:

Ghazala Khan: Trump Criticized My Silence. He Knows Nothing About True Sacrifice

Previously:

Fox News Plays Benghazi Commercial Over Khizr Khan's Anti-Trump Speech At The Democratic National Convention

CNN's Josh Rogin: Khizr Khan's Speech Was A “Nod To Those People Who Have Been Othered Or Demonized” By Trump

The Democratic Convention Speeches Fox Didn't Show