Trump says he's not on vacation but working hard

US President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday that he was working hard from his golf club in New Jersey, after being criticized for taking a vacation, and said his base of voters was growing despite the fake news against him.

"Working hard from New Jersey while White House goes through long planned renovation. Going to New York next week for more meetings," said the President, who has been criticized for taking a 17-day "working vacation" at the Trump National Golf Club, Bedminister.

Trump was a harsh critic of Barack Obama when the latter was President for taking too many days of vacation.

The Republican President also slammed the leading US media on Monday including The New York Times, which this weekend reported that Trump might not run for re-election in 2020, and that Vice President Mike Pence might be maneuvering such and outcome.

"The failing @nytimes, which has made every wrong prediction about me including my big election win (apologized), is totally inept!" Trump added to his series of Twitter posts.

"The Trump base is far bigger & stronger than ever before (despite some phony Fake News polling)," he said, and as proof pointed to his rallies in states like Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio and West Virginia.

Trump's approval rating is at its lowest level, according to a recent Quinnipiac University survey, which places support for his presidency at 33 percent, while in the demographic of his most loyal supporters it fell from 53 percent to 43 percent.

The president said that despite the "fake news" about his campaign's collusion with Russia in 2016, he has made progress in border security, defence, jobs, the economy and deregulation.

In a morning of incessant tweets, Trump also had time to attack Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, calling him a "con artist" after the lawmaker criticized the White House for politicizing the Justice Department on grounds that its increased targeting of those who leak information and those who report it is a potential violation of press freedom

Trump said Blumenthal had no right to talk about "Russian collusion" during last year's elections, since he lied about his service in the Vietnam War.

"He told stories about his Vietnam battles and...conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child," Trump said.

Some 10 years ago, Blumenthal said he had been sent to Vietnam, after which one of the media most criticized by Trump, The New York Times, revealed that it was not true.

--IANS

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