Trump’s Revenge: Unceremonious firings of impeachment witnesses
Immediately following Donald Trump’s presidential impeachment acquittal, White House insiders came forward to say that the president would be cleaning house regarding the White House staff whose political beliefs may not align with his. On February 7, only two days after his impeachment acquittal, that prediction came true as an emboldened Donald Trump fired two impeachment witnesses plus a third White House staffer who had the bad luck of being the twin brother of one of those witnesses.
The media is referring to the firings as Trump’s Revenge and his very own Friday Night Massacre, harkening back to Richard Nixon’s original Friday Night Massacre and firing of those investigating his Watergate break-in.
Trump on Friday fired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a top Ukraine expert at the National Security Council, and Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the EU, both of whom testified against Trump’s dealings in Ukraine that sparked the impeachment investigation.
Trump also fired Alexander Vindman’s twin brother, Yevgeny, who also works for the White House but was not involved in the impeachment trial. His job was terminated suddenly and with no explanation, despite two decades of loyal service to this country,” Alexander Vindman’s lawyer said. ~ The Business Insider
Vindman is a decorated member of the military. He is a recipient of the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Ranger Tab, Basic Parachutist Badge, the Presidential Service Badge, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge. Vindman is also a Purple Heart recipient. He received a Purple Heart for wounds he received from an IED attack in the Iraq War in 2004, according to Voz Wire.
“There is no question in the mind of any American why this man’s job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House. LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth,” David Pressman said in a statement.
The president’s petty, vindictive and vengeful firing of the three men should not go un-noticed. Many feel that a real president, a real man, would have personally confronted those individuals, maybe expressed some displeasure regarding their testimonies, but ultimately saying something like, “although I didn’t like what you said – I will defend your right to say it.”
Instead, we got Trump’s version of the Friday Night Massacre; and he most likely isn’t done exacting his revenge for being impeached.
Below is the complete and heart-felt statement made by Vindman’s lawyer, David Pressman:
“Today, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman was escorted out of the White House where he has dutifully served his country and his President. He does so having spoken publicly once, and only pursuant to a subpoena from the United States Congress.
There is no question in the mind of any American why this man’s job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House. LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth. His honor, his commitment to right, frightened the powerful.
During his decades of service to this country, LTC Alexander Vindman has served quietly but dutifully, and he has served with honor. He came into the public eye only when subpoenaed to testify before Congress, and he did what the law demanded. In recent months, many entrusted with power in our political system have cowered out of fear. And, yet, a handful of men and women, not endowed with prestige or power, but equipped only with a sense of right borne out of years of quiet service to their country made different choices.
They courageously chose to honor their duty with integrity, to trust the truth, and to put their faith in the country ahead of fear. And they have paid a price. The truth has cost LTC Alexander Vindman his job, his career, and his privacy.
He did what any member of our military is charged with doing every day: he followed orders, he obeyed his oath, and he served his country, even when doing so was fraught with danger and personal peril. And for that, the most powerful man in the world – buoyed by the silent, the pliable, and the complicit – has decided to exact revenge.
LTC Alexander Vindman leaves the White House today. But we must not accept the departure of truth, duty, and loyalty that he represents. In this country right matters, and so does truth. Truth is not partisan. If we allow truthful voices to be silenced, if we ignore their warnings, eventually there will be no one left to warn us.”
—
Vindman’s firing and unceremoniously being escorted from the White House did not go un-noticed by 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden, who prompted the audience at last night’s presidential debate in New Hampshire to give Vindman a standing ovation.
“Col. Vindman got thrown out the White House today, walked out,” said Biden. “He [Trump] should have been pinning a medal on Vindman, and not on Rush Limbaugh.”
“I think we should all stand and give Col. Vindman a show of how much we supported him,” Biden added while motioning to the audience. “Stand up and clap for Vindman, get up there… that’s who we are, we are not who Trump is.” ~ Newsweek
Others supporting Vindeman and calling out Trump for his pettiness and acting more like a spoiled dictator ruling in an anarchy instead of a U.S. president, include Adam Schiff (Chair of the House Intelligence Committee), Seth Moulton (former Marine who served in Iraq and U.S. Representative from Massachusetts), and Elliot Engel (Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and U.S. Representative from New York.)
We should note that any U.S. president has the right and the legal authority to hire his staff and fire those who aren’t doing their jobs. The difference between Trump’s recent firings – and any other president who appoints presidential positions – comes down to class, style and maturity – attributes not evident in the Trump presidency. We should expect more presidential actions based on Trump’s impeachment revenge in the very near future.
For more on Donald Trump’s current purgings, see the video accompanying this article.
Written by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
