President Trump slammed former Director of National Security James Clapper on Thursday accusing him of lying to Congress.
“James Clapper, who famously got caught lying to Congress, is now an authority on Donald Trump. Will he show you his beautiful letter to me?” he tweeted.
Mr. Trump was seemingly referring to a 2013 testimony when Mr. Clapper was asked if the National Security Agency collects data on Americans. He responded “not wittingly.”
The former national intelligence director later said he misunderstood the question despite reports he knew the question was going to be asked.
Mr. Trump’s tweet comes after Mr. Clapper questioned Mr. Trump’s “fitness” for office Tuesday night after a raucous speech in Arizona.
“How much longer does the country have to, to borrow a phrase, endure this nightmare?” Mr. Clapper said on CNN after the speech.
Mr. Clapper has become a frequent critic of the president and his administration since leaving his post in January.
But he was not the only person the president slammed on Thursday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan also received some of the president’s wrath, tweeting that he suggested the debt ceiling legislation be tied in with the veterans bill that just passed, but the pair chose not to do that.
“I requested that Mitch M & Paul R tie the Debt Ceiling legislation into the popular V.A. Bill (which just passed) for easy approval. They…” he continued, “…didn’t do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval. Could have been so easy-now a mess!”
The Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act aims to streamline the process for veterans appealing disability benefit claims. Mr. Trump signed the bill at the American Legion’s national convention in Reno, Nev., on Wednesday.
The president also slammed Mr. McConnell for his failure to pass an Obamacare repeal and replace plan before the summer recess.
The only problem I have with Mitch McConnell is that, after hearing Repeal & Replace for 7 years, he failed!That should NEVER have happened!,” he tweeted.
Republicans do face a tough deadline when they return to Washington on Sept. 5. They have less than two weeks to pass a spending measure to prevent a government shutdown. Mr. Ryan has already said a continuing resolution will likely be needed to keep the government open as lawmakers work out a long-term solution.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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