President Donald Trump attacked Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal on Twitter Thursday, just hours after the senator revealed private comments by Trump's Supreme Court pick that were critical of Trump's own attacks on judges.

Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut made headlines Wednesday night when he said Trump's Supreme Court pick, judge Neil Gorsuch, agreed with his own substantial concerns about the president's slams on judges – including one who ruled against Trump's new immigration order.

'He said very specifically that they were demoralizing and disheartening and he characterized them very specifically that way,' Blumenthal said following his meeting with Gorsuch.

It was a stunning critique of the president's conduct from the man seeking confirmation to a lifetime appointment to the nation's highest court.

But the White House says Gorsuch's statement is being misrepresented - the judge wasn't tweaking the president, he was making a general statement about the independence and integrity of the judicial branch.

President Donald Trump went after Senator Richard Blumenthal on Twitter a day after the senator revealed that judge Neil Gorsuch (pictured) found Trump's attacks on the judiciary 'disheartening'

Richard Blumenthal (left and right) (D-CT) claimed judge Neil Gorsuch said Trump's attacks on the judiciary were 'demoralizing and disheartening'. Trump, in response, said Blumenthal falsely claimed to have served in Vietnam when he was stationed domestically while serving in the Marine Reserves (right)

President Trump went after Blumenthal on Twitter Thursday

The comment by Gorsuch was confirmed by the Supreme Court nomination team to DailyMail.com Wednesday night, and it was seconded by a Republican in the Senate, but it nevertheless spurred Trump to respond.

Trump hammered Senator Blumenthal in a tweet Thursday morning meant to shred Blumenthal's credibility following the revelation.

'Sen.Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie),now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?' Trump tweeted.

He hit Blumenthal again at an invitation-only luncheon at the White House, saying in response to a reporter's question, 'His comments were misrepresented and what you should do is ask Sen. Blumenthal about his Vietnam record which didn't exist.'

The pushback brought up a troubling part of Blumenthal's record. While running for the Senate in 2010 while serving as the attorney general of Connecticut, the New York Times revealed that Blumenthal had claimed he served 'in Vietnam' when addressing veterans' groups.

In one example, Blumenthal said to a group in 2008, 'We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam. 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.'

Senator Richard Blumenthal says Gorsuch told him Trump's Twitter attacks on judges such as US District Judge James Robart (pictured)- the 'so-called' judge who halted his immigration order - were 'disheartening'

Blumenthal got multiple deferments from the war, joining the Marine Reserves in 1970 but was stationed in Washington and never served in-country.

He apologized in 2010 and got elected anyway.

'At times when I have sought to honor veterans, I have not been as clear or precise as I should have been about my service in the Marine Corps Reserves,' Blumenthal said in a 2010 statement. 'I have firmly and clearly expressed regret and taken responsibility for my words.'

He continued: 'I have made mistakes and I am sorry. I truly regret offending anyone,'' Blumenthal added. 'I will always champion the cause of Connecticut's and our nation's veterans.'

Trump himself got five Vietnam-era draft deferments due his educational pursuits and one due to bone spurs in his foot, the New York Times reported during the campaign.

Gorsuch has not talked publicly about his comments, despite a plea from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, according to The Hill, that he own up to them in a show of independence rather than 'whisper' them to a senator.

The judge's administration-appointed spokesman, Ron Bonjean, Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Gorsuch's Senate 'sherpa' Kelly Ayotte all told CNN that Gorsuch stood against attacks on judges.

Ayotte's statement cast Gorsuch's remarks as much broader than Trump, however, and his spat with the travel ban judge.

'Judge Gorsuch has made it very clear in all of his discussions with senators, including Senator Blumenthal, that he could not comment on any specific cases and that judicial ethics prevent him from commenting on political matters,' she said.

'He has also emphasized the importance of an independent judiciary, and while he made clear that he was not referring to any specific case, he said that he finds any criticism of a judge’s integrity and independence disheartening and demoralizing.'

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer read Ayotte's statement aloud during his daily briefing as he explained to a series of reporters asking about the dust up that Gorsuch's remarks were, as the president said, being misrepresented.

'So there is a big difference between commenting on the specific comments that have been made in the tweet, and his general philosophy about the judiciary and his respect for his fellow judges,' Spicer asserted.

Spicer tried to argue that Gorsuch told lawmaker 'he doesn't like attacks in general on the judiciary. It was a very distinct argument that he was making.'

'He literally went out of his way to say I'm not commenting on a specific instance,' the White House official argued in the course of the conversation - even though Gorsuch hasn't personally spoken out about the issue at all.

President Trump went after CNN host Chris Cuomo for his interview with Blumenthal Thursday morning. Cuomo brought up Trump's Twitter attack about Blumenthal's military service but didn't follow up when Blumenthal ignored it

Trump also directed a missive at Arizona Senator John McCain, who has emerged as a frequent Trump critic

Blumenthal responded to Trump's attack Thursday morning – though he turned down a chance to revisit his Vietnam misrepresentations when asked about the hit by CNN's Chris Cuomo as he opened an interview.

'There’s no question that Judge Gorsuch said to me that he found these attacks on the judiciary by the president to be disheartening and demoralizing,' Blumenthal said. 'In fact his spokesperson after the meeting confirmed it. He made the statement more than once. In fact, he has made that same statement to a number of my colleagues, including senator Schumer.'

Blumenthal continued: 'Telling me that he finds these attacks to be demoralizing or disheartening behind closed doors is not enough. He needs to make that statement publicly and condemn this attack on the independence of the judiciary.'

The immediate effect of the online and on-air battle had the potential to boost Gorsuch by featuring his willingness to stake out an independent position distinct from Trump – or so some Democrats feared.

'Blumenthal is inadvertently doing WH's bidding here,' tweeted Brian Fallon, a former spokesman for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. 'A true stand for judicial independence' would be breaking with Gorsuch on Trump's immigration order, he wrote.

Later on Thursday, Trump turned his fire on Cuomo.

'Chris Cuomo, in his interview with Sen. Blumenthal, never asked him about his long-term lie about his brave "service" in Vietnam. FAKE NEWS!' Cuomo had referenced the misrepresentations, but never followed up after Blumenthal ignored it.

The White House says Gorsuch's statements are being misrepresented - the judge wasn't tweaking the president, he was making a general statement about the independence and integrity of the judicial branch

Republicans have been venting that Blumenthal immediately revealed what happened following his meeting with Gorsuch, although most have not doubted the veracity of what Blumenthal said.

'I don't speak for the president. I don't tweet for the president. What I know, I have no reason to doubt senator Blumenthal. I have no reason to doubt the spokesman for Judge Gorsuch about what was said,' Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado told CNN.

But he said it was 'highly unusual for a senator to hold a press conference and discuss the entirety of a meeting.'

In the comments that kicked off the imbroglio, Blumenthal said Wednesday: 'I said they were more than disheartening and I said to him that he has an obligation to make his views clear to the American people, so they understand how abhorrent or unacceptable President Trump's attacks on the judiciary are,' he added, CNN reported.

Trump this weekend went after a district court judge who issued a stay of his immigration order – setting up a process that could land the order before the Supreme Court.

'The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!' Trump tweeted.

The comment was confirmed by the Supreme Court nomination team.

Trump blasted judge James Robart after a ruling that put a temporary stop to his immigration order

Donald Trump in High School photo 1964. Mr Trump never served in the armed forces. He was sent to the New York Military Academy to iron out his wayward behavior

Federal district judge James Robart, a George W. Bush appointee, issued a stop to Trump's immigration order last week while it is being adjudicated.

The order had the effect of reopening immigration from a group of seven majority-muslim nations that were deemed a threat.

The issue is certain to arise in Gorsuch's confirmation before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Top Democrats are already making an issue of whether he can be independent from Trump.

Trump also drew widespread criticism during the primary for going after judge Gonzalo Curiel, who had ruled against him in a Trump University fraud case he ultimately settled after paying $25 million to students who claimed they were defrauded by the offer of real estate classes.

Blumenthal said he brought up Trump's attacks on judges and that Gorsuch 'didn't disagree with me on that point.'

'I said to him if a litigant before your court – and the President of the United States is in fact a litigant right now in the immigration ban cases – said what President Trump said, you would hold him in contempt of court,' he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said that he never meant to surprise the world with a sudden travel ban on January 27, but 'law enforcement people' persuaded him to make the move without any advance warning.

'I said, 'Let's give a one-month notice',' the president recalled in a speech to a group of police chiefs and sheriffs from large U.S. metropolitan areas. 'But the law enforcement people said to me, 'Oh, you can't give a notice. Because if you give a notice, you're going to [find it] really tough in one month from now or in one week from now'.' 'I suggested a month. Then I said, 'Well, what about a week?'' Trump continued.

'They said, 'No, you can't do that, because then people are going to pour in before the toughness goes on'.'

Trump claimed his law enforcement advisers told him that America would see 'a whole pile of people perhaps – perhaps – with very evil intentions coming in' if they knew travel restrictions were pending.

Instead, he now says the United States faces the same kind of exposure to terrorism after a federal judge put his plan on hold.

Gorsuch also met with Senate Demoratic leader Charles Schumer and reportedly gave similar assurances. But after his meeting with Gorsuch, Schumer said, 'The judge today avoided answers like the plague.'

GOP Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas publicly criticized Trump for the twitter attack Wednesday.

'Judge Robart, like every other judge in the federal system, is confirmed by the Senate after having been appointed by the president. He's a judge. He's not a so-called judge,' he said bluntly, appearing on CNN.

'I would say he wrote a so-called opinion, that didn't offer a single legal reason for his conclusion,' he added.

'And again I think it's best not to personalize these disputes. I understand the president is frustrated that this judge in Seattle has stayed his order. I don't think that was the right decision. But I would probably focus on the merits of the case itself, and have confidence in his victory on appeal – because I think he should have confidence in his victory,' he added.

Trump also criticized a federal Ninth Circuit Appeals Court that took up the immigration order Tuesday night.

'A bad high school student would understand this. Anybody would understand this,' he said, following a dramatic reading of a portion of the law Wednesday.

'I listened to a bunch of stuff last night on television that was disgraceful. It was disgraceful,' Trump fumed.

'Because what I just read to you is what we have. And it just can't be read any plainer or better. And for us to be going through this!'