President Donald Trump took a jab at Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal for embellishing his service record in Vietnam, as the president visits the country for the second summit between North Korea and the U.S.
In between trade meetings with the Vietnamese prime minister and preparations for a dinner with North Korean President Kim Jong Un, the president tweeted sharp criticism of the senator he nicknamed “Da Nang Dick.” Trump even alleged that he spoke of Blumenthal’s mischaracterizations with Vietnamese leaders.
“I have now spent more time in Vietnam than Da Nang Dick Blumenthal, the third rate Senator from Connecticut (how is Connecticut doing?),” Trump tweeted Wednesday. “His war stories of his heroism in Vietnam were a total fraud – he was never even there. We talked about it today with Vietnamese leaders!”
I have now spent more time in Vietnam than Da Nang Dick Blumenthal, the third rate Senator from Connecticut (how is Connecticut doing?). His war stories of his heroism in Vietnam were a total fraud – he was never even there. We talked about it today with Vietnamese leaders!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2019
The New York Times reported in 2010 that Blumenthal had repeatedly made misstatements related to his service in U.S. Marine Corps Reserve that falsely implied he fought in the Vietnam War. Blumenthal apologized for not being “as clear or precise as I should have been about my service in the Marine Corps Reserves.” (RELATED: Trump Puts Sen. Blumenthal On Blast With Stolen Valor Reference)
The president first bestowed the “Da Nang” nickname on Blumenthal in October when the senator questioned the integrity of then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s nominee to serve on the Supreme Court.