President Trump resurrected his derisive nickname for Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Monday after the Connecticut Democrat helped introduce a bill that would ensure special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation report gets released to the public.
In a tweet, Trump called him “Da Nang Dick,” a moniker he has given Blumenthal, who was a Marine Corps reservist during the Vietnam War and wrongly claimed years ago that he “served in Vietnam” but never said he was in Da Nang province.
“How does Da Nang Dick (Blumenthal) serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee when he defrauded the American people about his so called War Hero status in Vietnam, only to later admit, with tears pouring down his face, that he was never in Vietnam. An embarrassment to our Country!” Trump said.
How does Da Nang Dick (Blumenthal) serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee when he defrauded the American people about his so called War Hero status in Vietnam, only to later admit, with tears pouring down his face, that he was never in Vietnam. An embarrassment to our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2019
Earlier in the day, Blumenthal, along with fellow Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced legislation that would ensure the work of any special counsel appointed by the Justice Department, including Mueller, would have their work made available to both Congress and the public, even if that official is fired, resigned, or gets transferred.
“A Special Counsel is appointed only in very rare serious circumstances involving grave violations of public trust. The public has a right and need to know the facts of such betrayals of public trust,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
During an interview on MSNBC shortly before Trump’s tweet, Blumenthal also said there were “serious issues” with regards to the “truthfulness” of the private testimony of Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, regarding Russia.
Trump has repeatedly derided Mueller’s investigation, which is looking for possible collusion between Russia and his 2016 campaign, as a “witch hunt.”
Blumenthal, who was running for the U.S. Senate at the time, apologized in 2010 for misrepresenting his service. At the time, he told reporters: “On a few occasions I have misspoken about my service and I regret that, and I will take full responsibility.”
