Blumenthal says it's "absurd" that Trump is blaming Harris rhetoric for assassination attempts

 Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said it was “cravenly absurd” for former President Trump to blame Vice President Harris for the alleged attempt on his life for the second time in as many months.

“Blatantly cravenly absurd. Misleading," Blumenthal told Fox News. "And it does a disservice to the Secret Service, which is trying to improve the way it provides protection and it must improve the way it provides protection.”

“So I think that it distracts from the essential purpose,” he added.

On Monday, Trump blamed Harris for rhetoric he said has “taken politics in our Country to a whole new level of Hatred, Abuse, and Distrust.”

Blumenthal said Trump's rhetoric evokes emotion and strong views that may present challenges to the U.S. Secret Service, who are charged with protecting the former president.

“The Secret Service has a job to do. And if it needs more resources, it has an obligation to request it,” Blumenthal said. “But I think that the failures that we found in the lapses that have been revealed go beyond simply resources, how the resources are used and how accountability is imposed.”