>> reporter: president's response, he didn't go after gorsuch. he ripped into blumenthal, resurrecting the senator's past false claims that when he was in the marine reserves in the vietnam era that he served in vietnam and accusing him of misrepresenting what gorsuch actually said. in a attack the they are facing reelection battles. >> his comments are misrepresented. what you should do is ask senator blumenthal about his vietnam record that didn't exist. >> reporter: the white house may be threading a needle claiming gorsuch was only speaking generally pushing back on the notion the judge was being specifically critical of the president >> the judge was very clear that he was not commenting on any specific matter, right? and then he was asked about his general philosophy. he literally went out of his way to say i'm not commenting on a specific instance. >> reporter: that may be a distinction without a difference. even if gorsuch was speaking broadly, the president's attacks on the judiciary would meet the standard of disheartening and