The president, as is his wont, was watching cable news this morning and getting angry. Because he’s not just your typical doddering grandparent but also the most powerful man in the world, his rant against the news can’t be ignored.
First, Trump railed against Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, over reports from his office that revealed Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, had criticized Trump’s recent attacks on the judiciary:
Sen.Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie),now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017
Chris Cuomo, in his interview with Sen. Blumenthal, never asked him about his long-term lie about his brave "service" in Vietnam. FAKE NEWS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017
Then he went on a tear against John McCain, over criticisms of a botched raid in Yemen that resulted in the death of a Navy SEAL and an American girl:
Sen. McCain should not be talking about the success or failure of a mission to the media. Only emboldens the enemy! He's been losing so....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017
...long he doesn't know how to win anymore, just look at the mess our country is in - bogged down in conflict all over the place. Our hero..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017
..Ryan died on a winning mission ( according to General Mattis), not a "failure." Time for the U.S. to get smart and start winning again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017
The Vietnam War, which Trump famously avoided with dubious draft deferments, is the running theme of these tweets. On one hand, Trump is upbraiding Blumenthal for his “major lie” about serving in Vietnam. On the other, he is also going after a genuine war hero in McCain, who was a prisoner of war for five and a half years in Vietnam. Trump, of course, once said that McCain is “not a war hero,” declaring, “I like people who weren’t captured.” As a candidate, Trump survived that gaffe, but now he is the president and sending American soldiers in harm’s way. He is subject to much more scrutiny about his military bona fides, which might explain the anger and insecurity of these tweets.