Trump threatens smear campaign against Alexander Vindman, the Purple Heart recipient who said the White House left out key phrases from its Ukraine call memo
- Col. Alexander Vindman, a top White House National Security Council aide, testified last week that the White House left out key phrases from its memo of President Donald Trump's Ukraine call.
- Trump claimed that Vindman is a "Never Trumper," referring to a Republican movement that tried to stop Trump from becoming president in 2016.
- There is no evidence to suggest this. When asked about it on Sunday, Trump said he would release evidence "real soon."
- Vindman is a particularly damaging witness in Trump's impeachment inquiry because of his firsthand knowledge of the call.
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US President Donald Trump has threatened to release damaging intelligence against Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the White House national-security aide and Purple Heart recipient who testified that the White House omitted key phrases from its Ukraine call memo.
Vindman, a top official on the White House National Security Council, testified last Tuesday that the White House left out key information from its memo of Trump's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
They include direct mention by Zelensky of Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company where former Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter worked, and by Trump of Joe Biden discussing Ukraine corruption.
Hours after news outlets reported on Vindman's testimony, Trump claimed that the White House aide was a "Never Trumper," referring to a Republican movement that tried to stop Trump from becoming president in 2016.
There is no evidence to show that Vindman was part of this group. But when reporters asked about it on Sunday, Trump threatened to release information on Vindman's alleged ties to the "Never Trump" campaign.
Here's how the exchange went down, as can be seen in the video below:
Reporter: Sir, what evidence do you have that Col. Vindman is a "Never Trumper"?
Trump: We'll be showing that to you real soon, okay?
The president then ignored a follow-up request to describe the information he claimed to have.
Vindman, who had directly listened to the Ukraine call, had claimed last week that he tried to add details of Zelensky's mention of Burisma and Trump's discussion of Biden into the White House transcript, but was not able to do so.
He is a particularly damaging witness in Trump's impeachment inquiry because of his firsthand knowledge of the call.
His testimony also undercuts that of Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, whom Vindman said made "inappropriate" statements underscoring the importance of Ukraine giving Trump the investigation he wanted.
Some Trump supporters and conservative commentators have accused Vindman - who was born in Ukraine but moved to the US when he was three - of being a spy for Ukraine. They have been met with harsh criticism on both sides.
Biden defended Vindman and attacks on his character and loyalty "despicable." Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, also said it was "shameful to question their patriotism, their love of this nation."
Gen. Peter Zwack, who was Vindman's boss in Moscow, also told PRI's The World: "I find preposterous the innuendo that he somehow is a double agent. That was just fear and hate-mongering and I found it reprehensible."
The House passed a resolution to formalize the impeachment inquiry last week. Trump has repeatedly called it a "witch hunt." An Insider poll has also found that 50.2% of Americans support impeaching Trump.
- Read more:
- Meet Alexander Vindman: The refugee, Army colonel, and Purple Heart recipient testifying about his concerns over Trump's Ukraine dealings
- Calling top Trump national-security aide 'double agent' is 'reprehensible,' former Army general says
- Conservative commentators are questioning the loyalty of a NSC official and Iraq veteran set to testify in the impeachment inquiry
- House Democrats just gave Republicans everything they wanted in the impeachment inquiry