President Trump used Twitter to accuse Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) on Thursday of misrepresenting Trump's Supreme Court justice nominee's comments on Trump like he misrepresented his service in the Vietnam War.
Trump's SCOTUS nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch paid a courtesy visit to multiple senators on Wednesday, including Blumenthal. Following their meeting, Blumenthal disclosed that Gorsuch told him that Trump's comments about the judiciary were inappropriate, CNN reported.
"He said very specifically that they were demoralizing and disheartening and he characterized them very specifically that way," Blumenthal said of Gorsuch. "I said they were more than disheartening and I said to him that he has an obligation to make his views clear to the American people, so they understand how abhorrent or unacceptable President Trump's attacks on the judiciary are."
Blumenthal appeared on several networks on Wednesday and Thursday echoing the same story. After his CNN interview on Thursday morning with anchor Chris Cuomo, Trump took to Twitter to accuse him of misrepresenting Gorsuch's comments:
Sen.Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie),now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017
Trump not only accused Blumenthal of misrepresenting Gorsuch's comments, but he criticized Cuomo for not questioning Blumenthal's claims, considering the "long-term lie" about his service in Vietnam.
Chris Cuomo, in his interview with Sen. Blumenthal, never asked him about his long-term lie about his brave "service" in Vietnam. FAKE NEWS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017
Blumenthal's credibility was severely damaged back in 2010 during his Senate race when it was discovered that he had been lying for decades about fighting in Vietnam War, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Blumenthal's own credibility has been called into question since he entered public life. When Blumenthal first ran for the Senate in 2010, the New York Times revealed that he had lied for years about fighting in the Vietnam War. Blumenthal repeatedly touted his supposed combat experience in speeches to veterans groups and civic organizations, saying he had "served in Vietnam."
However, a review of his military records revealed that he procured five deferments from the military before joining the Marine Reserve. During the war he traveled as far west as Washington, where he helped the Toys for Tots program, but never saw actual combat.
Blumenthal has yet to respond to Trump's tweet.