| Title | | Title |
| Fact check: Donald Trump's claims about Senator Richard Blumenthal's Vietnam service | | Fact check: Donald Trump's claims about Senator Richard Blumenthal's Vietnam service |
| Summary | | Summary |
| Blumenthal obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 | | Blumenthal protested by Medal of Honor Winners. |
| Highlights | | Highlights |
| Content | | Content |
| <strong>President Donald J. Trump said on Twitter on September 30 that Senator Richard Blumenthal "was never in Vietnam" and was guilty of "fraudulent service",</strong> | | <strong>President Donald J. Trump said on Twitter on September 30 that Senator Richard Blumenthal "was never in Vietnam" and was guilty of "fraudulent service",</strong> |
| Here is his tweet: | | Here is his tweet: |
| https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1046135994267963392 | | https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1046135994267963392 |
| According to a<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html"> <em>New York Times</em> investigation in 2010</a>, Blumenthal spoke to a group of veterans in 2008 as if he had served in Vietnam. | | According to a<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html"> <em>New York Times</em> investigation in 2010</a>, Blumenthal spoke to a group of veterans in 2008 as if he had served in Vietnam. |
| "“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” he said. “And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.” | | "“We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam,” he said. “And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it — Afghanistan or Iraq — we owe our military men and women unconditional support.” |
| However, according to records obtained by <em>The Times</em>, Blumenthal obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 "and took repeated steps that enabled him to avoid going to war." | | However, according to records obtained by <em>The Times</em>, Blumenthal obtained at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 "and took repeated steps that enabled him to avoid going to war." |
| "When we returned, we saw nothing like this," the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-blumenthal-lied-about-vietnam-he-did-cried-he-n790291">senator also said at a Connecticut</a> rally in support of troops in 2003. | | "When we returned, we saw nothing like this," the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-blumenthal-lied-about-vietnam-he-did-cried-he-n790291">senator also said at a Connecticut</a> rally in support of troops in 2003. |
| When he enlisted in 1970, Blumenthal was in the Marine Reserves and engaged in drills in Washington and local projects like campground repairs. | | When he enlisted in 1970, Blumenthal was in the Marine Reserves and engaged in drills in Washington and local projects like campground repairs. |
| <strong>Claim:</strong> Senator Richard Blumenthal claimed that he served in Vietnam and "many battles of near death but was never in Vietnam." | | <strong>Claim:</strong> Senator Richard Blumenthal claimed that he served in Vietnam and "many battles of near death but was never in Vietnam." |
| <strong>Fact Check: </strong> | | <strong>Fact Check: </strong> |
| We rate this as partially true but misleading. There is no evidence that Blumenthal ever claimed to have participated in specific battles. | | We rate this as partially true but misleading. There is no evidence that Blumenthal ever claimed to have participated in specific battles. |
| Blumenthal has since <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/richard-blumenthal-regrets-misplaced-words-on-vietnam-service/">apologised</a> for any past misleading statements. (<em>CBS</em>) | | Blumenthal has since <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/richard-blumenthal-regrets-misplaced-words-on-vietnam-service/">apologised</a> for any past misleading statements. (<em>CBS</em>) |
| “On a few occasions I have misspoken about my service and I regret that, and I will take full responsibility. But I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service to this country.” | | “On a few occasions I have misspoken about my service and I regret that, and I will take full responsibility. But I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service to this country.” |
| | | |
| | | Medal of Honor Winners have protested: |
| | | Valor is too uncommon a commodity, and too precious a virtue, to be stolen by those who have not paid the high price for freedom. We recognize that some concerns over any appointee, especially the Supreme Court, are honest and legitimate. |
| | | You, sir, are neither. If you ever had a sense of duty, if ever you respected the service and sacrifice of others, then please recognize your duty now: |
| | | Sen. Blumenthal, "take your seat"! |
| | | Respectfully, |
| | | Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie Adkins, U.S. Army, Auburn, Ala. |
| | | Retired Col. Don "Doc" Ballard, U.S. Army, Grain Valley, Mo. |
| | | Retired Maj. Gen. Pat Brady, U.S. Army, New Braunfels, Texas |
| | | Retired Col. Bruce Crandall, U.S. Army, Manchester, Wash. |
| | | Retired Sgt. 1st Class Sammy Davis, U.S. Army, Freedom, Ind. |
| | | Retired Col. Wesley Fox, U.S. Marine Corps, Peoria, Ill. |
| | | Retired Col. Harold Fritz, U.S. Army, Peoria, Ill. |
| | | Retired Maj. Gen. Jim Livingston, U.S. Marine Corps, Mount Pleasant, S.C. |
| | | Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bob Patterson, U.S. Army, Pace, Fla. |
| | | Retired Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Stumpf, U.S. Army, Tomah, Wis. |
| | | Retired Maj. James Taylor, U.S. Army, Trinity Center, Calif. |
| | | Retired Lt. Mike Thornton, U.S. Navy, Dallas |
| | | Retired Col. Leo Thorsness, U.S. Air Force, St. Augustine, Fla. |
| | | Retired Col. Jay Vargas, U.S. Marine Corps, San Diego |
| | | The signatories are all Vietnam-era Medal of Honor recipients. Their Medal citations can be read at www.cmohs.org. |
| | | |
| | | https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/an-open-letter-from-14-medal-of-honor-recipients-to-sen-blumenthal-over-his-hypocrisy-on-gorsuch |
| Categories | | Categories |
| Military, North America, Politics, United States, Vietnam, Politics | | Military, North America, Politics, United States, Vietnam, Politics |
| Article type | | Article type |
| report | | report |
| Tags | | Tags |
| Donald J Trump, Richard Blumenthal, vietnam war
| | Donald J Trump, Richard Blumenthal, stolen honor, vietnam war
|
| Author byline | | Author byline |
| Yes | | Yes |
| Has hero | | Has hero |
| Yes | | Yes |
| Hero Alignment | | Hero Alignment |
| full | | full |
| Hero Image URL | | Hero Image URL |
| https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wikitribune-uploads-master/2018/09/30015157/2018-09-04T184155Z_1096693159_RC158C175510_RTRMADP_3_USA-COURT-KAVANAUGH-150x150.jpg | | https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wikitribune-uploads-master/2018/09/30015157/2018-09-04T184155Z_1096693159_RC158C175510_RTRMADP_3_USA-COURT-KAVANAUGH-150x150.jpg |
| Featured Image URL | | Featured Image URL |
| https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wikitribune-uploads-master/2018/09/30015157/2018-09-04T184155Z_1096693159_RC158C175510_RTRMADP_3_USA-COURT-KAVANAUGH.jpg | | https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wikitribune-uploads-master/2018/09/30015157/2018-09-04T184155Z_1096693159_RC158C175510_RTRMADP_3_USA-COURT-KAVANAUGH.jpg |
| Sources | | Sources |
| | | <p>Ten hut! Richard Blumenthal and the Semper Fib syndrome</p> |
| | | <p><a href="http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2010/05/ten-hut-richard-blumenthal-and-the-semper-fib-syndrome.html" rel="nofollow">http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2010/05/ten-hut-richard-blumenthal-and-the-semper-fib-syndrome.html</a></p> |
| | | <p> </p> |
| | | <p><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/an-open-letter-from-14-medal-of-honor-recipients-to-sen-blumenthal-over-his-hypocrisy-on-gorsuch" rel="nofollow">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/an-open-letter-from-14-medal-of-honor-recipients-to-sen-blumenthal-over-his-hypocrisy-on-gorsuch</a></p> |
| | | <p> </p> |
| | | <p> </p> |
| | | <p> </p> |