This one is personal, malicious, and without any basis in reality. Trump fabricates a situation that never happened, and says it over and over again.
Here is the reality:
Richard Blumenthal, Senator from Connecticut, on two occasions said he served in Vietnam. He was in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1970 to 1976, thus serving during the Vietnam Era, but did not serve in Vietnam.
“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” Blumenthal, then Connecticut’s attorney general, told a group in Norwalk, Conn., in 2008. He also praised a group of military families in 2003 by saying, “When we returned from Vietnam, we saw nothing like this.”
At other points before and during the 2010 race, Blumenthal accurately described his military record. “Although I did not serve in Vietnam, I have seen firsthand the effects of military action,” he said during a March 2010 debate for the Senate race.
He described himself as “someone who served in the military during the Vietnam-era in the Marine Corps” at the same 2008 event where he later said he served “in Vietnam.”
He did not correct the record at other times when he was described in news reports as serving in Vietnam.
He did apologize, “On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service, and I regret that, and I take full responsibility. But I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service to our country. I served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and I am proud of it.”
LinkThat's it. That is the sum total of his statements claiming to serve in Vietnam. News organizations have been looking at this for years. There is nothing else, no allegations of anything else, no accusations of anything else.
Here is Donald Trump's near-hallucinatory version of events.
Look at Blumenthal. He lied about Vietnam. He didn’t just say, ‘Hey, I went to Vietnam.’ No. No. For 15 years, he said he was a war hero, he fought in Da Nang province. We call him ‘Da Nang Richard.’ ‘Da Nang’ — that’s his nickname. ‘Da Nang.’
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.
Senator Richard Blumenthal must talk about his fraudulent service in Vietnam, where for 12 years he told the people of Connecticut, as their Attorney General, that he was a great Marine War Hero. Talked about his many battles of near death, but was never in Vietnam.
Calling out Blumenthal for lying about where he served? Fair game.
Making up brand new stories out of thin air to put in Blumenthal's mouth, knowing that the lies about what he said are more blatant, more numerous, and more vindictive? That is repugnant for anyone to do, particularly for a President.
What kind of person just fabricates defamatory nonsense out of thin air, knowing that they can be definitively disproven almost instantly?
Donald Trump.
The article also mentions this from Trump.
And then, when he got out — he actually dropped out of the race, and he won anyway because Democrats always win in Connecticut. He won very close, probably the closest ever. And when he got out and when he apologized, he was crying. The tears were all over the place.
Also proven to be complete and total fabrications. He didn't drop out. Democrats don't always win in Connecticut. He won by 12 points (Lieberman won by 10 points and 0.8 points). He didn't cry.
I have no words.