President Donald Trump took time away from his vacation Monday morning to slam several of his favorite Twitter targets – particularly The New York Times – and to brag to his base about his political accomplishments despite the widening Russia investigation and his sinking poll numbers.
“The failing @nytimes, which has made every wrong prediction about me including my big election win (apologized), is totally inept!” he wrote, on the morning of his first full week of a 17-day stay at his Bedminster, New Jersey, property.
“The Trump base is far bigger & stronger than ever before (despite some phony Fake News polling). Look at rallies in Penn, Iowa, Ohio and West Virginia,” he continued in a string of tweets. “The fact is the Fake News Russian collusion story, record Stock Market, border security, military strength, jobs Supreme Court pick, economic enthusiasm, deregulation & so much more have driven the Trump base even closer together.”
President Donald Trump waves after arriving at Morristown Municipal Airport with his grandchildren, Arabella Kushner, right, and Joseph Kushner to begin his summer vacation at his Bedminster golf club, Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, in Morristown, N.J.
“Will never change!” he said. “Hard to believe that with 24/7 #Fake News on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, NYTIMES & WAPO, the Trump base is getting stronger!”
The president seemed to have been reacting to an article published the New York Times on Sunday that said several Republicans were beginning to position themselves to run for the White House in 2020, and predicted that Trump would be either severely politically damaged or out of office. Vice President Mike Pence in a statement vehemently denied he has ambitions to take the top job in the next election, calling the report “categorically false.”
Trump also sought to further deflect criticism over the length of his stay in New Jersey and over his repeated trips to his properties since taking office.
“Working hard from New Jersey while White House goes through long planned renovation,” he tweeted. “Going to New York next week for more meetings.”
While presidents have traditionally taken several weeks away from Washington in August – and the job inevitably goes with them – Trump has been particularly sensitive to criticism over his trips. So far, he has taken nearly twice as many days away from the White House as President Barack Obama had at the same point in his first year, despite vowing as a candidate not to take time off and repeatedly chiding Obama for vacationing on the taxpayer’s dime.
Since traveling to Bedminster late last week, he has been photographed golfing and crashed a wedding taking place at the club.
And on Monday morning, the president was apparently tuned to CNN. Some 15 minutes after Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., appeared on air to criticize Trump for “weaponizing” the Justice Department over leaks, Trump revived an attack line on Blumenthal’s military service.
Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Young America’s Foundation’s 39th annual National Conservative Student Conference, Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, in Washington
Blumenthal said on CNN’s “New Day” that he thought it was “a disservice to the law” and “politicizing” the department for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to crack down on leaks, particularly the plan to review how the department issues subpoenas to news organizations that receive and report on leaked information.
In response, Trump went after Blumenthal for misrepresenting his service during the Vietnam War.
“Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!” Trump wrote.
“Never in U.S.history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie,” he continued. “He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?”
Blumenthal did not serve overseas during the Vietnam War; he received five deferments – the same number as Trump. But Blumenthal was a member of the Marine Reserves during the war, stationed stateside.
In at least two occasions in 2003 and 2008, Blumenthal described his service in a way that implied he had been shipped out, later apologizing for having “misspoken” about his record.
This article is from a submission, please keep the link for forwarding: https://www.36ti.com/topb/984