Donald Trump (AP)
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized Senator Richard Blumenthal, alleging that Blumenthal misrepresented his military service during the Vietnam War.”Sanctimonious Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, perhaps the biggest “joke” in the United States Senate, is at it again!” Trump said through a post on Truth Social. Trump said that Blumenthal repeatedly told “lies” about his combat experiences in Vietnam, claiming throughout the first half of his political career that he was a “war hero” and frequently describing life-threatening battles that other veterans later disputed.“And then it happened, Blumenthal was found out to be a FRAUD. The soldiers in his so-called “platoon” came forward and said that they had no idea who this guy was,” he Trump added. He also compared Blumenthal’s alleged misrepresentation to cases of other politicians who faced legal consequences for false claims.“Right now there is a Congressman sitting in prison for lying about his past during a campaign. Well, those lies were nothing compared to those of Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, perhaps the greatest phony in the history of the United States Senate. He should be allowed to speak no longer!”Blumenthal admitted in 2010 that he had “misspoken” regarding his service in Vietnam. “On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service, and I regret that and take full responsibility,” Blumenthal said at the time, as reported by Fox News. He called the remarks “absolutely unintentional” and noted that the error occurred only a few times out of “hundreds” of speeches he has delivered.During a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Tuesday, Blumenthal faced remarks from US attorney general Pam Bondi, who adopted a combative stance with Democratic senators. Bondi accused Blumenthal of lying about his military service while deflecting questions regarding her former lobbying firm and other controversies.Blumenthal questioned Bondi about her involvement in the American Express GBT merger and any discussions with Brian Ballard, a former backer and head of her previous law firm, according to The Hill.In response, Bondi reacted sharply, stating, “Senator Blumenthal, I cannot believe that you would accuse me of impropriety when you lied about your military service. You lied, you admitted you lied to be elected a US senator,” she said.
