Posted on 10/29/2019 3:16:13 PM PDT by robowombat
Trump attacks on Vindman trigger backlash BY MORGAN CHALFANT AND BRETT SAMUELS - 10/29/19 04:53 PM EDT
President Trump's aggressive attacks on a White House official who testified about his concerns over Trump's communications with Ukraine in the impeachment inquiry set off a furious backlash on Tuesday, with former Vice President Joe Biden calling the president's remarks “despicable.”
Trump described Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, an active-duty member of the military who attended his deposition in uniform, as a “Never Trumper,” while some allies questioned the Purple Heart recipient’s patriotism given the fact that he emigrated from Ukraine as a child.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called the attacks “absurd,” while Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the No. 3 Republican in the House, admonished those who would question Vindman’s patriotism without naming names.
“Their patriotism, their love of country — we're talking about decorated veterans who have served this nation, who put their lives on the line, and it is shameful to question their patriotism, their loving this nation, and we should not be involved in that process,” Cheney said at the House GOP leadership’s press conference.
Trump in a Tuesday tweet criticized Vindman as he prepared to testify before three congressional committees behind closed doors, suggesting the official was participating in a “witch hunt” against him.
“Supposedly, according to the Corrupt Media, the Ukraine call ‘concerned’ today’s Never Trumper witness,” Trump tweeted. “Was he on the same call that I was? Can’t be possible! Please ask him to read the Transcript of the call. Witch Hunt!”
The attack was on-brand for Trump, who has a well-earned reputation as a counterpuncher when criticized. Just last week, Trump slammed Vietnam veteran and U.S. diplomat Bill Taylor, using the same “Never Trumper” insult after decrying that group as “human scum.”
Trump has previously targeted critics with military ties and bipartisan respect, including the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
But the attacks on Vindman, coupled with comments from allies such as former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), ran into opposition from Republicans and highlighted a GOP divide even as the party seeks to shift its strategy on fighting Democrats over Trump's impeachment.
Vindman on Tuesday provided damaging testimony about Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Vindman, a firsthand witness to the phone call, told lawmakers that he was so concerned about Trump raising an investigation into Biden, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine that he reported it to the National Security Council’s (NSC) lawyer, according to a copy of his prepared remarks that leaked out Monday night.
“I realized that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and Burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained. This would all undermine U.S. national security,” his remarks read.
Vindman, a Ukrainian refugee who fled to the United States with his family at age 3, is a former infantry officer who has served for two decades in the U.S. Army. He has deployed overseas multiple times, including serving a tour in Iraq where he was wounded by an improvised explosive device and received a Purple Heart. He has been an Army foreign area officer since 2008 and was asked to join Trump’s NSC in July 2018.
Vindman serves as the NSC’s director of European affairs, a role one former NSC official described as apolitical and typically filled with detailees from other parts of the federal government.
“It’s an apolitical role,” said the former official. “You’re not part of the policy team in terms of coming up with policy, you’re enacting policy.”
One former Trump administration official said the barrage of attacks on witnesses like Vindman, Taylor and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch can be demoralizing for other career officials still in government.
The barbs may not abet for some time, with a cast of current and former officials scheduled to testify.
Vindman’s Tuesday testimony could prove problematic for the White House, particularly as Trump has urged his allies to focus on substance over process in defending him despite some reluctance from Republican lawmakers.
“I thank him for his service. I thank him for his commitment to this country, but he is wrong,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said of Vindman during a press conference.
Other Republican lawmakers deflected Vindman’s testimony by saying they felt the conduct outlined in the July 25 call was not impeachable.
But some of the president’s allies suggested Vindman’s Ukrainian roots might cloud his judgment.
“It seems very clear that he is incredibly concerned about Ukrainian defense,” said Duffy, the former congressman who is now a CNN commentator. “I don't know that he's concerned about American policy, but his main mission was to make sure the Ukraine got those weapons. I understand that we all have an affinity to our homeland where we came from.”
Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani claimed that Vinman felt “confused” because he was “advising two [governments].”
Republican strategists dismissed the impact of Trump’s attacks, arguing Republicans may disagree with Trump over them but it wouldn’t compromise the president’s support amid the impeachment inquiry.
“Republicans who oppose that strategy will feel no compunction vocalizing that,” said one Republican strategist, citing Cheney’s remarks. “It doesn’t change the reality that he’s not going to be convicted in the Senate and impeachment is a waste of time.”
GOP strategist Ford O’Connell also said Trump is “right to challenge the veracity of witnesses coming before Congress,” noting that Vindman was presenting his opinion of Trump’s phone call with Zelensky and that the partial transcript released by the White House did not show an explicit quid pro quo on the phone call.
Still, it could complicate efforts to unify the White House and Republicans on messaging to effectively fend off the fast-moving impeachment inquiry.
Trump’s attacks come as the White House is struggling to adopt a coherent strategy to counter the growing body of evidence of impropriety in Trump’s interactions with Ukraine. One former White House official argued attacking witnesses wouldn’t serve the purpose of a strategy unless the attacks were credible.
“They have to rebut the claims and find credible angles of attack. Just blowtorching them isn’t a strategy,” said the former official.
“Overall, they should take a page from the Clinton playbook. Democrats are focused on tearing the president down instead of lifting the American people up; Democrats aren’t focused on your hopes and dreams, they’re focused on their own political ambition,” the former official continued.
House Democrats will vote on a resolution this week laying out the next steps for the investigation, with plans to take hearings with witnesses public over the next few weeks. The vote will force lawmakers to take a public position on the impeachment inquiry, which could work in the White House’s favor by putting vulnerable Democrats in a tough position.
The White House has refused to cooperate with the inquiry, casting it as “illegitimate” because Democrats refused to subject it to a formal vote, but officials have not committed to cooperating once a vote takes place.
Jordain Carney contributed.
It's on tape,Plugs...clear as day.And be assured that that tape will be played during any trial in the Senate...and during next year's campaign.
Vindman is a foreign agent working for Ukraine and should be arrested for espionage and tried under UCMJ.
For crying out loud.
Benedict Arnold was a great guy too.
You know.....until that traitor stuff.
Hold on, how many votes did this Vineman guy get to be President? That number matches the amount I care about what he thinks of Trump’s calls. Ukraine should get no one more some. Trump went to bat for them and look at the result. Let them fight the Russians on their own with their own tax dollars. That way there can be no confusion.
He’s a damn traitor to America. Disgraceful to see him exploiting his uniform. He has no business being an officer in the army. Who the hell is he to decide whether or not he thinks presidential policies are wise or not? That’s what happens when you have a ukrainian-born officer and his twin brother placed in the White House, hired there by a UK born advisor on the National Security Council. Why are all these foreigners on the NSC?
Will wait for these same people to call Michael Flynn a patriot too..and is Romney still bitching about not being Secretary Of State
Also, this SOB was on the National Security Council. He was having a side business advising Ukrainian government officials on how to deal with Giuliani. That makes him an unregistered foreign agent, at best.
In reality, it makes him a spy placed on the NSC
Truth hurts. I a veteran condemn the man for using his uniform as a prop. The establishment is mad that President Trump changed all their years of planning. He changed many things over the last three years. This is what the American people elected him to do. But this man and his friends know what is best for the country and are concerned about what the President is doing. This has been described as a coup, that is true. If these people succeed this country is in for years of unrest.
Benedict Arnold was a great guy too.
You know.....until that traitor stuff.
His leg was buried with honors.
Vindman is shredding all the rules: Challenging the President while on active duty, political posturing in uniform, Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice was written just for him: Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer.
Being a veteran doesn’t grant immunity from criticism.
McCain was also a war hero.
I have LEARNED recently that these military types ARE ALL deep state, I believe Trump believed in the beginning that he could trust these generals YET they were really his enemy!!! I am so disappointed to have this knowledge it SUCKS to find that our military are DEEP STATE!!!
I think I read where his “concern” was that he thought President Trump was asking to investigate the fact that a former vice-president’s son was receiving billions of dollars.
WHY WOULD THEY NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT...BOTH OUR PRESIDENT AND VINDMAN. DOES VINDMAN THINK THAT KIND OF THING IS...OKAY.
Then there is something wrong with him...not President Trump.
Because of the outright daily lies from the state media / DNC propaganda arm with regard to absolutely anything that the President of the United States does or says, I’ve given him a pass on absolutely anything he says on social media. So there.
We have the transcript of the call so the opinion of some fatso who managed to squeeze himself into a uniform means less than nothing.
I’ve told my wife that if I die, I want them to cut off my behind and make lipstick out of it.
Then, they give that lipstick to Hillary Clinton.
That way, she can kiss my ass every day.
This is why the Republicans always lose. I don't give a damn if he served our country, if he is working in concert to overturn the 2016 election, he deserves everything thrown at him. If he wants to set American foreign policy, let him run for office, otherwise he should keep his opinions to himself.
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