At 7:32 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, President Trump proclaimed that despite the fact he’s scheduled to spend the next two weeks away from the White House at his private golf club in New Jersey, he’s still working hard.
Working hard from New Jersey while White House goes through long planned renovation. Going to New York next week for more meetings.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017
About three minutes later, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined CNN for an interview. At one point, Blumenthal was asked if he’s worried that the Trump-Russia scandal might distract Democrats from focusing on issues that affect Americans more directly, like the economy.
Blumenthal said that while he understands voters may have more pressing concerns than Russia, “the Russia investigation, the empanelment of the grand jury, shows that Bob Mueller is pursuing this potential wrongdoing by the Russians, the attack on our democracy, seriously and diligently.”
He went on to mention the Trump campaign’s possible role in the scandal.
“There is no minimizing or underestimating that attack by the Russians,” Blumenthal continued. “It was purposeful and relentless, and it involved propaganda and hacking into our voting machines — or at least an attempt to do it — and potential collusion by the Trump campaign, and then obstruction of justice. That investigation must be pursued.”
Blumenthal’s comments apparently interrupted whatever work Trump was doing. Despite the fact that the president has repeatedly claimed he doesn’t watch CNN — “I don’t watch CNN anymore,” he said in April, and “I don’t watch CNN… I don’t like watching fake news, he said in February — Trump made clear he tuned in for Blumenthal’s interview by tweeting out a string of attacks against the senator that hit his Twitter account less than 15 minutes after it ended.
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 2010, Blumenthal admitted to exaggerating his Vietnam War-era military record. Trump, meanwhile, was granted five deferments and never served. In 1997, Trump characterized his struggle to avoid contracting STDs as “my personal Vietnam.”
“It’s amazing, I can’t even believe it. I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world, it is a dangerous world out there,” Trump told Howard Stern. “It’s like Vietnam, sort of. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave solider.”
On Saturday, Trump tweeted that his 17-day trip to New Jersey “is not a vacation – meetings and calls!”
Working in Bedminster, N.J., as long planned construction is being done at the White House. This is not a vacation – meetings and calls!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2017
Later that same day, he was photographed riding around in a golf cart, clubs in tow.
"This is not a vacation," @realDonaldTrump tweets.
Meanwhile, on Instagram pic.twitter.com/OL4YXzty6k
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) August 5, 2017