So it might come as a surprise to hear a group of Gold Star families describe a private meeting with Trump as "warm" and "compassionate." But Karen Vaughn, whose son Aaron, a Navy SEAL, died in Afghanistan, said she left it feeling that Trump understood where the families were coming from.

"If I could describe his demeanor with us, it was gentle, soft-spoken and tender," Vaughn told CNN's Ana Cabrera.

Vaughn organized the meeting between Trump and the families, and said that the Khans were not a topic of discussion. ...