Tuesday, a Russian spy ship was spotted off the coast of Delaware heading north at 10 knots. The ship cruised up the eastern coast of the United States. As of Wednesday morning, that ship is now off the coast of Connecticut and one congresswoman wants the president to stop tweeting and start taking care of national security.
“A Russian spy ship patrolling 30 miles from the Groton SUBASE underscores that the threats posed by a resurgent Russia are real,” said Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), according to WTNH. “This unacceptable, aggressive action, combined with the buzzing of US Navy ships in the Red Sea yesterday are clearly testing the resolve of a new administration. While I have total confidence in our Navy’s vigilant, responsible readiness, the White House needs to move past their seeming infatuation with Putin and treat him like the serious threat to global peace and security that he has been for the last five years.”
Courtney's fellow member in the neighboring district took it even further. In a series of tweets, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) replied to President Donald Trump's morning tweets.
"Russia is flexing its muscle and floating a [ship] off the coast of Connecticut," she wrote. "Maybe you should focus your attention there?"
See her tweets below:
Russia is flexing its muscle and floating a submarine off the coast of Connecticut. Maybe you should focus your att… https://t.co/i8mFaRxLME— Rosa DeLauro (@Rosa DeLauro) 1487169517.0
Correction: it's a ship, not a submarine. However, President Trump needs to focus on the issues at hand rather than tweeting.— Rosa DeLauro (@Rosa DeLauro) 1487171999.0
The White House has not responded to the reports of the Russian spy ship.
"We are aware of the vessel's presence. It has not entered U.S. territorial waters," replied Defense Department spokesperson Lt. Col. Valerie Henderson. "We respect freedom of navigation exercised by all nations beyond the territorial sea of a coastal state consistent with international law."
A state's territorial sea extends up to 12 nautical miles.
Tuesday, a Russian aircraft was reported to have flown too close to a U.S. destroyer stationed in the Black Sea. Pentagon officials said that Russian jets flew within 300 feet of the warship and "conducted simulated attacks," according to Stars and Stripes.