Senator John McCain and other Republican leaders have condemned Donald Trump’s remarks about the family of a fallen US Muslim soldier.
Mr McCain said Mr Trump did not have an “unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us”.
Mr Trump has come under fire for criticising the Muslim American parents of a US soldier killed in Iraq.
Democratic lawmakers and the soldier’s father have called on Republicans to disavow Mr Trump.
“I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement,” McCain said in a statement.
“I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates.”
Last year Mr Trump sparked a backlash after he said Mr McCain was not a war hero because he was captured in Vietnam.
