President Donald Trump criticized Tuesday Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, calling for an investigation into Blumenthal’s past statements about his military record following an exchange with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi during a congressional hearing.
"Sanctimonious Richard 'Da Nang Dick' Blumenthal, perhaps the biggest 'joke' in the United States Senate, is at it again!" Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social.
"'Dick' lied until the midpoint of his political career, convincing everyone, in particular the Fake News Media, that he was a great 'War Hero' who lived on the precipice of death in the jungles of Vietnam," he wrote in the lengthy post.
"This guy shouldn't even be in the U.S. Senate. It should be investigated, and Justice should be sought."
Blumenthal has served in the Senate since 2011 from the northeastern state of Connecticut -- which borders Trump's home state of New York -- and received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1970. He never served in Southeast Asia.
The 79-year-old Democrat exchanged sharp remarks with Bondi, who also challenged the senator’s account of his military service.
Trump compared Blumenthal to former New York congressman George Santos, who was convicted on wire fraud and identity theft charges earlier this year.
Blumenthal issued a statement about his military record remarks during his initial Senate campaign in 2010, saying he had "not been as clear or precise as I should have been about my service in the Marine Corps Reserves," according to CBS News.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has taken actions involving several political opponents, drawing criticism from some observers who view them as politically motivated.
In 2017, during Trump's first term in office, Blumenthal sued the president on suspicion of violating the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits government officials from accepting gifts. The case was eventually dismissed.