Trump on US Senator: “He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child”
Developments on Day 200 of the Trump Administration:
Trump’s Twitter Tirade Defies Influence by Chief of Staff
Shattering the narrative that a new Chief of Staff will bring order to him and his White House, Donald Trump spends the day ranting and insulting people on Twitter.
The White House has put out the line that the appointment of retired Marine general John Kelly on July 31 was supposed to end factional disputes and rein in Trump’s tweets, which have often destabilized policy and brought unwelcome headlines.
But as he began a 17-day vacation last weekend at his New Jersey golf resort, Trump retweeted a fake pro-Trump “robot” account. He followed on Monday with a tirade spurred by his consumption of morning news, beginning with a jab at The New York Times and an attempt to push back stories of his declining poll ratings — now at an unprecedented low level for a President at this point in an Administration:
The Trump base is far bigger & stronger than ever before (despite some phony Fake News polling). Look at rallies in Penn, Iowa, Ohio…….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017
…and West Virginia. The fact is the Fake News Russian collusion story, record Stock Market, border security, military strength, jobs…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017
… Supreme Court pick, economic enthusiasm, deregulation & so much more have driven the Trump base even closer together. Will never change!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017
He linked his cheerleading with a swipe at his enemy “Fake Media”: “Hard to believe that with 24/7 #Fake News on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, NYTIMES & WAPO [Washington Post], the Trump base is getting stronger!”
Attacking a US Senator
But Trump’s headline-grabbing rant was an invective against Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.
Angered by Blumenthal’s appearance on CNN supporting the Trump-Russia investigation, Trump — who avoided the draft for the Vietnam War — took aim at the Senator’s false claim that he had been involved in the conflict. (Blumenthal, who served in the military for six years, soon apologized.)
Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017
Never in U.S.history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017
…conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017
In contrast to his attention to Blumenthal, Trump did not mention the deaths of three Marines in the crash of a military plane off the coast of Australia or acknowledge Purple Heart Day, angering some veterans.
Trump returned to Twitter in the afternoon for another round with his supposed foes. He insisted — bizarrely, given the extensive coverage of the story — that the “Fake News Media will not talk about the importance of the United Nations Security Council’s 15-0 vote in favor of sanctions on N. Korea!”. He questioned “how much longer” could the “failing NY Times” stay in business, and he returned to Blumenthal:
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
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017