The newest member of the “THIS WILL NAIL TRUMP” whistleblower series has been identified as Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. He is said to be a Ukrainian refugee who did serve in the US military. he currently serves as the director for European Affairs at the NSC.
He claims to have listened in to Donald Trump’s call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and became “concerned.”
On July 25, when the president called Zelensky to congratulate him on his party’s parliamentary victory, Vindman listened in on the call. He says: “I was concerned by the call. I did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the U.S. government’ s support of Ukraine.” Notably, the transcript of the call suggests that Trump did not “demand” an investigation of the Bidens.
For the record, Trump demanded no such thing.
Vindman never brought his concerns to the President. he never even spoke to Trump.
https://twitter.com/Shem_Infinite/status/1188997858009243648
He did, however, have other activities
Laura Ingraham, on her show Monday night, read a portion of the New York Times report about the testimony of National Security Council Ukraine expert Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Vindman plans to testify that he objected twice to the president’s July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump urged the foreign leader to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
The host pointed to a specific line in the middle of the Times report that she thought was “buried” and “found it very interesting.”
“Because [Col. Vindman] emigrated from Ukraine along with his family when he was a child and is fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, Ukrainian officials sought advice from him about how to deal with Mr. Giuliani, though they typically communicated in English,” the line she highlighted reads.
She added, “Here we have a U.S. national security official, who is advising Ukraine while working inside the White House apparently against the president’s interest, and usually, they spoke in English. Isn’t that kind of an interesting angle on this story?”
Stephen McIntyre then asks the obvious question- who gave him permission to do this?
so Vindman advised Ukrainian officials about how to deal with Giuliani, who was (according to State Dept IG) serving as Acting Legal Advisor. What was Vindman's advice to Ukrainian officials? Did he have permission from his supervisors to advice Ukraine? Documents?? https://t.co/FdzGCZOwRL pic.twitter.com/stnTVcSIPg
— Stephen McIntyre (@ClimateAudit) October 29, 2019
This is a pattern among White House diplomats
Reminder that, just like Vindman, Bill Taylor also communicated directly with the Ukrainians, telling them not to do what Trump wanted them to do. pic.twitter.com/CxbqUD57JK
— Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) October 29, 2019
Makes you wonder who’s working for whom. Vindman’s ostensible concern:
This would result in Ukraine losing bipartisan support? More than, say, this?
Or more than this?
Seems to me that horse has long left the barn.
One thing Vindman has done is to corroborate the transcript
On July 25 , 2019, the call occurred. listened in on the call in the Situation Room with colleagues from the NSC and the office of the Vice President. As the transcript is in the public record, we are all aware of what was said.
The bottom line is that Vindman’s mischaracterization of what Trump said is troubling and certainly suggest a partisan motive.
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.
There it is DJ.
What took you so long?
Slacking a bit aren’t ya?
Say, Doc… someone is stalking you.
Aren’t there any witnesses supporting impeachment that haven’t gotten their evidence from another of the witnesses supporting impeachment? Isn’t there any evidence that is not simply something someone that hates Trump feels he shouldn’t have done? Seems kind of thin to base an impeachment on. I guess that explains the extra-Constitutional secrecy and leaks.
Just when you think Dr. John couldn’t possibly go any lower, he calls into question the character of a decorated army veteran, a patriot wounded in the war in Iraq, on this cesspool of a blog. And he brings up Laura Ingraham? In a defense of Donald Trump?
Dr. John, get a clue. You’re a despicable human being.
Adam Schiff ordered the witness er gossip, to not answer a question posed by a GOP Member. The question who have you spoken to about this, I guess that would be the list of Adams witnesses. Nothing new just this guy doesnt like Trump, so he also can get an interview on CNN, super qualifications.
@kitt: Yeah, blocking answers to Republican questions and coaching witnesses dispels any suspicion this might be a rigged Democrat show.
@Lance Geier: Lt. Col. Vindman’s own words calls his character into question (if that was actually in his opening statement, he isn’t very smart, either). The fact you don’t see anything wrong with someone in a position of trust illicitly talking with members of a foreign government and instructing them how to circumvent the government’s agenda calls YOUR character into question as well.
@Deplorable Me:
If you think I’m going to get into an exchange with you about the loyalty and patriotism of Lt. Col. Vindman, you’re mistaken. You can take your stupid and scurrilous remarks and shove them up your ass.
@Lance Geier:
You might remember how Michael Flynn has been treated by the left. A 33 year veteran Lt. General.
Further, Buttigieg’s dad is a bona fide Communist.
Being a vet does not preclude one being partisan. That contention is left to lesser minds.
This “impeachable crime” boils down to disagreement with Deep State.
And I even heard that President Trump (who has all foreign policy laid in his lap by the US Constitution) and those 63 million of us who voted him into office are “enemies of democracy” because we don’t simply do what Deep State dictates!
But it is Deep State, those lifers in the depts of federal gov’t, who really are enemies of democracy.
Nobody elected them.
They made no campaign promises that European nations would be made to pay their fair share in things like the UN, NATO and even multilateral aid packages like that the Ukraine is in.
Campaigner Donald Trump did make that promise.
And he’s been able to achieve his goals because he knows the art of the deal.
Following the standing policy of Deep Staters is NOT, and has NEVER been practiced by presidents after a change in Party at the Executive level.
There’s nothing impeachable about making one’s own policies!
Oh, and BTW, the entire impeachment inquiry is predicated on the premise that Joe Biden would be President Trump’s opponent after the Dem primaries.
It was NEVER going to happen.
Biden was originally placed as a candidate to be a placeholder for a DNC choice to be named later should no one walk away with the Dem people’s obvious option.
Well, there is not obvious winner among the DNC candidates.
But, for a certainty, Biden has faded as voters have seen his gaffes, his incompetence, his sexist baggage, his racist baggage, his theft of others’ writings, and his, “hey! Man! dismissal of arguments.
He is 3rd in most polls.
I doubt President Trump ever thought he’d be the Dem choice.
@Lance Geier:
So who do you think gave Vindman permission to lobby against the CIC?
@Lance Geier: Based on the limited exposure I have had with your intellect, I would recommend that the LAST thing you want to do is get into an exchange with me. You’d leave crying.
You also don’t deny supporting taking the side of a foreign government against our country.
@DrJohn: The disrespect shown military people by Democrats is common. Recall the treatment of Gen. Petraeus, Gen. McChrystal and, until he spoke out against Trump, Gen. Mattis. Respect of the military is not in the Democrat DNA; it’s just another shield for their desperate weakness to hide behind.
@Deplorable Me: Indeed
@DrJohn: “preponderance of innuendo” is the new standard for Democrats to convict.
@Lance Geier: Being a decorated veteran does not mean he is right. This “officer” first of all just gave opinions, no facts. His loyalty was to the US, not Ukraine. His testimony was that he didn’t think it was right that Trump told the President of Ukraine to investigate an American Citizen. The key here is that it was not his role to provide psychological assessments of Trumps thoughts or words. He was obviously biased towards his native country and not first trying to understand the purpose of President Trump trying to investigate the 2016 election. Just because one happens to get injured in a battle does not make him smarter than everyone else. I worked with officers from the Ukraine when I was in Iraq. One of them died in his bunk from a drinking binge. When he was found, all of his buddies first accused the US of killing him when he had violated very many official four star directives. @Lance Geier: It is obvious that you have little knowledge of service members and are highly biased an incapable of making a valid assessment of the issue. You best should maintain the allusion that you are intelligent by keeping your mouth shut.
I’m unaware of any indications that Lt. Col. Vindman ever expressed “never Trump” views or is even especially partisan. His two brothers are also career military officers. In coming forward to testify he has put his entire career on the line, if not his personal safety.
I think the strategy of attacking the integrity of every person who makes the President’s enemy list is pretty much played out. It has included far too many honorable people with spotless reputations and long histories of service to their country under both republican and democratic administrations.
@Greg:
Let him resign. The President has the prerogative to make foreign policy as he see fit and asking another country to investigate interference in our elections is fair game. Do I have to post the Politico article again?
Now we learn Vindman tampered with the transcript
https://t.co/aqE83GDP4U?amp=1&fbclid=IwAR28SzJHQAj0GPD51Wh36tReFyTcSDzo5HhwKBU-B_VBdQG5lNng_4Lm6Pg
And Schiff coached him
https://saraacarter.com/nunes-adam-schiff-was-coaching-alexander-vindman-throughout-his-testimony/
@Greg:
Did he testify against Hillary? That’s what gets people killed.
Going outside his responsibilities and authority to consult with members of the Ukrainian government to circumvent the President’s authority certainly indicates a shaky loyalty to his government and country. But, you have a long history of ignoring lawfulness in favor of what your party is undertaking.
When they show they lack integrity, exposing that is totally appropriate. The same goes for Biden. Biden bragged about extorting Ukraine to kill an investigation that would have involved his son. That’s not speculation or innuendo, that is Biden on video bragging about it. Becoming a candidate for President is not a shield against investigation of crimes (obviously) and it is the Democrat’s misfortune that Biden decided to run to be their candidate with such obvious baggage to carry.
Democrats have been destroying good and innocent people’s reputations and lives, not Republicans.
@DrJohn: Why do Democrats choose the most disreputable and dishonest member to lead the most critical and significant episode in US history? I guess when Pelosi has her vote, we will see if ANY Democrats possess any integrity.
Apparently Vindamin was the one person in the room during the phone call who leaked to the “whistleblower” who Schiff used originally.
Now Schiff is doing witness tampering and witness intimidation to try to prevent witnesses at his own “impeachment thing-y” from answering questions from Republicans! https://thefederalist.com/2019/10/29/schiff-directing-witnesses-not-to-answer-gop-questions/
One of the things Republicans who are allowed in there want to ask is who did you get this info from and/or who did you tell this info to.
Schiff doesn’t want that info out there.
It would blow the whole charade.
@Nan G: It may also cause him to admit to a crime!
@Nan G: One would think that, to someone seeking facts, finding out how a witness gained the information they have and who they may have shared it with would be important. Apparently, to trash like Schiff, simply getting accusations is more important than being able to TRUST the validity of the accusations.
Schiff said the reason he was holding his hearings in secret was so that other witnesses cannot know previous testimony yet he blocks Republicans finding out who Vindman shared and got information from. So, his premise for secrecy is destroyed.
@Randy: Spy they are trying to find a spy, there was no crime in the call contents, the GOP are the only ones trying to find a criminal.
This is just the latest gimmick in the Schitt’s Soviet show trial. A LTC doesn’t dictate foreign policy. We have the transcript. How he feels is immaterial to the facts. Ken Starr, who knows a thing or two about impeaching Presidents and who isn’t exactly an ardent supporter of PT, has stated more than once that PT hasn’t done anything remotely near justifying impeachment. The LTC and the rest of these coupsters need to understand that POTUS has the authority to determine foreign policy. POTUS has the authority to clean out corruption in the government. POTUS has the authority to withhold aid to a corrupt government. I’d bet the taxpayers of this country don’t appreciate millions of their tax dollars going to support a corrupt government.
Vindman has had his five minutes of fame. He is now part of the coup. Allowing himself to be paraded out in military uniform makes the US Army look bad as the optics of someone in uniform trying to undermine our foreign policy and trying to overturn an election will anger lots of Americans including his most of his peers. He should resign his commission. In the meantime, given his statements, he needs to be investigated by the FBI and/or CID for leaking classified material and perhaps being an agent of a foreign government. It seems he may have dual loyalties.
@Randy:
This officer was escorted to the hearing by FOUR D.C. police officers. Why was that? Was it to create drama making the viewer think he was under some physical duress due to his testifying?
Also, he claims to have discussed with the Ukrainians, on his own, the part Rudy Guliani was playing in the president’s desire to find out what part the Ukrainians played in the 2016 election, and did it in English although he speaks both Ukrainian and Russian. It would seem to me that action would be outside his authority and would be against military code of conduct.
And then, there’s this:
Some random Democrat being interviewed on Fox let Vindman’s cat out of the bag, inadvertently. He said LTC Vindman’s testimony was “his rendition of the call”. Indeed, that’s what it was and, like all the other evidence we are aware of, that’s all IT is. Democrat’s rendition of facts is what they are basing their impeachment on. Their rendition of reality.
Democrats don’t want anyone impeding their efforts of fraudulently influencing our elections, including enlisting foreign governments to help them and they don’t want anyone examining their activities. It is horrifying to imagine them in charge of our government.
@retire05: Good source.
People forget that Obama purged the Pentagon during his presidency. But recent events have given us an insight into the anti-American mindset of those he put in their place.
Just because they wanted to assist against the attackers in Benghazi on 9-11-2012 these two high-ranking officers were fired:
Gen. Carter Ham relieved as head of U.S. Africa Command after only a year and a half because he disagreed with orders not to mount a rescue mission in response to the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi.
Rear Adm. Chuck Gaouette, commander of the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, relieved in October 2012 for disobeying orders when he sent his group on Sept. 11 to “assist and provide intelligence for” military forces ordered into action by Gen. Ham.
Why did Obama do it?
Obama seldom fired other bureaucrats, which argues that generally he had no problem with calcified, top-heavy, lazy, corrupt bureaucracies.
Second, I don’t know of any other president who pushed out so many high ranking officers.
@retire05: I suppose if Lt. William Calley were to testify against Trump, it would be improper to question his integrity? What if Col. Oliver North testified in Trump’s behalf, no Democrats would impune his integrity?
Just something else the Democrats try to hide behind as an excuse to shut down uncomfortable questions.
@DrJohn: Flynn confessed to secretly working for a foreign government.
Do not defend that.
I got as far as “Vindman never brought his concerns to the President” and started laughing.
The chain of command is for Vindman to report to his superior, which he did.
Vindman shed blood in the service of our great nation. Now he is putting his career at risk in service to our Constitution.
Whine all you want, it does not matter; it only makes you look like yet another Russian asset.
@Ronly Bonly:
No. He didn’t. And, as we are finding out, Obama’s operatives in the FBI edited the 302 to make it look like he lied. Your ignorance is astounding.
@rewinn:
Did he? Is Schitt his superior? What information tells you he followed the chain of command?
He has risked his career and reputation to support a coup. Unfortunately for him, he appears to be a willing participant. Someone else the Democrats can use then discard.
Gosh, support for impeachment is growing! Already, THREE new, independent and totally unrelated to each other (nor AJ) posters have joined the conversation!! Maybe we should all reconsider our support for the Constitution and submit to their agenda?
@Ronly Bonly:”
He worked for a firm that was lobbying for a NATO ally. Direct ties to its government were unknown to Flynn at the time, you would think the CIA would have warned him.
Flynn stopped lobbying after he became national security adviser.
Now this Vindman spy was actually advising Ukraine not to cooperate with US foreign policy so should be shot for treason.
Flynn was hung out to dry because of his direct knowledge of the Obama administration arming Syrian terrorists.
You dont want us to defend Flynn cause you have nothing to demonize him with.
This is all kabuki theater. If the anti-American democrats had anything they wouldn’t be hiding behind closed doors, they would be shouting it from the roof tops AND there would be a vote in the house. Until that vote happens, this is just a bunch of BS. The anti-American democrats know they have nothing to stand on, and have shown their hand during the debates that their allegiance lies with the illegal, so they are trying to make people believe their garbage. Ironically enough I know quite a few democrats that have had it with the party and their shenanigans and are voting Trump.
Lastly, this is actually a coup to overthrow a sitting president. This is called treason.
18 U.S. Code § 2385 – Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States…”
Treason has ever been deemed the highest crime which can be committed in civil society; since its aim is an overthrow of the Government and a public resistance by force of its just powers, its tendency is to create universal danger and alarm, and on this account, it has often been visited with the deepest public resentment.
Attempting to overthrow a sitting President is considered overthrowing the government
Trump2020
@Patriot: They are trying to replace the Constitutional President with their own socialist government. Treason could not be more clearly defined.
@Lance Geier:
Uh…your party’s former candidate just did the same to a viable 2020 candidate in her own party….
hahaha…can’t take umbrage when others do something that’s only half as bad as what you did.
And…
Continuing to be “concerned” about a phone call to which the contents have been made public, the President exonerated of anything suspicious, doesn’t say much about your character…regardless of one’s service and/or wounding.
Don’t hide behind war veterans. That’s not the people your party cares about, represents, or defends.
Trump is exposing how politicians on both sides of the aisle enrich themselves, friends and family with Foreign aid kickbacks and favored positions and deals. Ukraine isnt even a smidgen, small portion · small piece · piece · portion · segment · section · part · chunk · lump · hunk · slice · fragment · scrap · shred · flake · chip · shaving · paring · crumb of the tip of the iceburg.
@Ronly Bonly: No he did not! He was performing his job. You need to read more and not listen to the propaganda.
@Ronly Bonly:
Many of us shed blood for our country. We also made sure that we maintained security of information. It appears that Vindman violated his oath of office by sharing classified information with someone who had “no need to know”. That is a criminal offense and could get him time in Leavenworth.
@Randy: When was the last time you saw a Democrat that cared about maintaining national security? They only care about DEMOCRAT security.
@Deplorable Me, #29:
He pleaded guilty to that very charge. He failed to disclose that he was a paid $530,000 as a lobbyist for Turkey—which, by the way, just received some very significant concessions from the Trump administration in connection with its objectives in Syria. You didn’t imagine Trump was really going to utterly destroy their economy if they didn’t behave, did you? He has hundreds of millions of dollars invested in property there.
@Greg:
Liar liar I already debunked that with you, look who owns that property.
Why must you lie to try to prove a pointless statement?
What exactly was Flynn lobbying for? Have you even looked?
BTW Turkey is a NATO ally.
@Greg: He plead guilty to lying to the FBI, which we now know he never did. Instead, he succumbed to bankruptcy and the threats to his family and confessed to disgrace. Most likely now, he will be cleared based on the FBI’s and Mueller’s treachery.
@Deplorable Me: I keep telling all of you Greg is dumber that the smallest rock in my retaining wall. He can not understand what he reads if he can reads. I think he just copies and pasts conversations from Huffington Post. Maybe he has the paper boy post his comments.
@Randy: He may not be dumb, but his failure is to believe that, in the midst of all the articles and information posted on this site, that he can come on here and promote his liberal propaganda. That only works among the ignorant; those doting on CNN, MSNBC, NYT and WaPo. Those that have forgotten how they were promised there existed solid, tangible evidence the Trump absolutely colluded with Russians to win in 2016; the first of many subsequent bombshells that pose closing walls and collapsing worlds for Trump. those that have forgotten how quickly and completely that evidence disappeared at the arrival of Mueller’s report.
Greg’s magic may work on those morons, but not on those who delve beyond corporate liberal media.
Judge cancels Gen. Flynn’s sentencing hearing
https://www.chicksonright.com/opinion/2019/10/30/judge-sullivan-cancels-flynn-hearing-after-receiving-word-of-potential-fbi-misconduct/?utm_source=palin&fbclid=IwAR3gebVdb3pr3kgIiKLnC5gmDfttuWEGlWMHVuRDp_Mv4LT5IYZaQw7sKZk
@Lance Geier: Tell us all why you ‘declare’ this man to be a patriot? Works in National Security, in White House, especially for the president and got wounded and got a purple heart (that does not make him a patriot). But he’s a Ukrainian and he has never spoken to the president, but he has testified ‘against’ the president, even though he really has no clue about the president, AND DO NOT overlook this. He has a civilian brother working in the same office in the White House. I think they are both spies and should be treated as such. I can say for sure he has not displayed a loyalty to the CinC.
@Randy: 13 Being a decorated veteran does not mean he is right Absolutely correct Randy, I am a Navy Vet from late 50’s and was in no combat or combat zones. I am a ‘decorated’ veteran, I have a good conduct medal, a national defense medal and one campaign medal (just because the ship I was on participated in some operation) I didn’t cut my finger while I was on Mess duty so I didn’t get a Purple Heart as John Kerry got his by some self inflicted hang nail (or something) But all those decorations did not make me smarter, (fortunately I was born that way) And I loved my military service and would never even think of betraying my commander in Chief, Dwight D Eisenhower.
@kitt: 34
Absolutely, almost every person in congress, on 179K a year have become multi millionaires, and many in their families. Trump may become the only president in ‘modern’ day to leave the White House with less than he had when he entered. Obama went in office broke except for a couple of book deals, he’s now worth over 150 million (kinda like Hillary) and that doesn’t even count what’s in his off shore accounts from that cash sent to Iran.
@Deplorable Me: in any case, I think once it is settled, Trump will give him a full pardon
@Randy: 41
absolutely
@kitt, #39:
Trump and Turkish billionaire Aydın Doğan own the property together in a license-partnership agreement. The Trump Organization receives its income from the property in the form of licensing fees. The real estate itself is owned by Doğan.
Not that anybody cares…
October 22, 2019 – Turkey’s Lobbyists Had Deep Access to Trump White House
@Greg: You’re right… nobody cares.