Trump Steps Up Twitter Feud With Senator

He calls Richard Blumenthal 'Vietnam con artist' in series of tweets over 9 hours
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 8, 2017 12:51 AM CDT
Trump Steps Up Twitter Feud With Senator
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Vacation or no vacation, President Trump had a busy Monday on Twitter: In a series of tweets over more than nine hours, the president laid into Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal for lying about military service in Vietnam. Never in US history "has has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal," Trump tweeted, accusing the senator of being a "phony Vietnam con artist." "He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child," Trump said. "Now he judges collusion?" Trump later added: "I think Senator Blumenthal should take a nice long vacation in Vietnam, where he lied about his service, so he can at least say he was there."

Trump was apparently angered by Blumenthal's remarks Monday supporting special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of alleged Russian election meddling, CNN reports. Blumenthal later tweeted: "Mr. President: Your bullying hasn't worked before and it won't work now. No one is above the law." Blumenthal apologized years ago for "misspeaking" by saying he served "in Vietnam" instead of "during the Vietnam era," when he was in the Marine Reserves, NBC News reports. The Washington Post reports that Trump critics—including conservatives like Bill Kristol—criticized the president, who received multiple draft deferments, for attacking Blumenthal on an issue "where he is even more vulnerable." (More Richard Blumenthal stories.)

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