Donald Trump has branded a senator a liar and hit out over claims his own Supreme Court nominee had criticised him.

Judge Neil Gorsuch had told Senator Richard Blumenthal that Mr Trump's attacks on judges were "demoralizing and disheartening", according to reports from both the senator and the judge's own spokesperson. But now the President has said that Mr Gorsuch never actually said that and that the senator is liar.

"Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie), now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?" Mr Trump posted on Twitter. His update came as Mr Gorsuch's comments looked set to embarrass Mr Trump, who has repeatedly criticised judges and the judiciary both before and after his election.

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Mr Blumenthal said that Mr Gorsuch has made the comments on a phone call, and they were later confirmed by the judge's own spokesperson. The two spoke because the senator sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will question the judge before he has admitted to the Supreme Court as Mr Trump's nominee.

The nominee – who was picked by Mr Trump during a livestreamed event – "didn't disagree" that the President could be held in contempt of court for his repeated attacks on the judiciary, said Mr Blumenthal.

Mr Gorsuch appeared to be referencing Mr Trump's ongoing fight with the courts over the legality of bringing in the travel ban, which keeps people from a range of predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US.

A number of judges have criticised the legality of the executive order that introduced the ban and it has temporarily been stopped. Mr Trump has criticised the judges that have been involved in doing so.

“I don't ever want to call a court biased so I won't call it biased, and we haven't had a decision yet,” Mr Trump said most recently. “But courts seem to be so political, and it would be so great for our justice system if they would be able to . . . do what's right.’’