President Donald Trump lashed out at Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) on Election Day, insisting he was only joking about renaming the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after himself following the Democratic lawmaker’s criticism.
“Lightweight Congressman Ted Lieu, one of the least respected in Washington, D.C., made a knowingly malicious, false, and defamatory statement that I wanted to change the name of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to the Trump Reflecting Pool,” Trump wrote Tuesday on his Truth Social platform.
Lieu a day earlier had criticized Trump on X, pointing to rising gas, diesel and grocery prices before questioning the president’s priorities.
"What are Trump and his Republican enablers focused on? Changing the name of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to the Trump Reflecting Pool. Punish them at the ballot box. Repudiate them. Vote,” Lieu wrote.
Trump on Tuesday insisted the California Democrat had intentionally omitted a crucial detail from his remarks.
“Ted Lieu knows that I said it in a jocular manner, and added, immediately after, ‘Don't worry, I'm only joking.’ All of the gathered Reporters laughed,” Trump wrote.
“But ‘Lightweight’ Lieu, his new moniker, didn’t add the line that I’m only joking because he is a FRAUD,” Trump continued in his lengthy Election Day tirade as Americans headed to the polls .
“This was done at a News Conference, and even the Media was aghast that Lieu would have lied like that. He's a Third Rate Congressman, and always will be!”