Trump says military may consider discipline for ousted aide Vindman

By Jeff Mason

 

FILE PHOTO: National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, takes a break as he testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill as part of the impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Donald Trump, in Washington, U.S., November 19, 2019. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the military may consider disciplining former National Security Council aide Alexander Vindman, who testified in Trump's impeachment trial and was fired by the White House along with his twin brother.

 

Vindman, an Army lieutenant colonel, provided some of the most damaging testimony during an investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives of Trump's dealings with Ukraine.

 

"We sent him on his way to a much different location and the military can handle him any way they want," Trump said.

 

Asked if he was suggesting that Vindman face disciplinary action, Trump said that would be up to the military.

 

"If you look at what happened ... they're going to certainly, I would imagine, take a look at that," Trump said.

 

Vindman, then the NSC's top Ukraine expert, testified that Trump’s request for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, a potential Democratic political rival in the 2020 election, and his son Hunter during a July phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was improper.

 

 

The call led to the Republican president being impeached in the Democratic-controlled House and later acquitted in the Republican-majority Senate.

 

"I obviously wasn't happy with the job he did," Trump said of Vindman. "First of all he reported a false call ... what was said on the call was totally appropriate."

 

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in November that Vindman should not fear retaliation over his testimony. Esper said he had reinforced the "no retaliation" message in a conversation with the secretary of the Army.

 

Trump has repeatedly complained about Vindman's testimony and called him insubordinate.

 

Vindman was escorted from the White House last week as was his twin brother, Yevgeny, who worked as a lawyer at the NSC and is also a lieutenant colonel.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Grant McCool and Sonya Hepinstall)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-02-12

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King Trump has spoken. Off with his head...

Just now, gargamon said:

King Trump has spoken. Off with his head...

Trumps you mean hopefully

It was a "perfect" call.....

get rid of the brother too.their fired.

regards Worgeordie

That trump is a thin skinned little man ehhhh some one gonna frag that dude

Game. Set. Match. 

 

The swamp is being drained!  Hopefully "disciplinary action" means a charge of treason.

 

Thank you President and Commander-in-chief Donald J. Trump!

Edited February 12, 20206 yr by Kelsall

Even though Trumps body has aged to an old man his mentality is still that of a 5 year old child .

Pardon war criminals, persecute those who tell the truth.

 

 

21 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Game. Set. Match

One more thing this non-veteran Trump doesn't understand about the UCMJ, 

 

It's called "Command Influence" in the military, and "obstruction of Justice" in the civilian world;  both are a bar to prosecution 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in November that Vindman should not fear retaliation over his testimony. Esper said he had reinforced the "no retaliation" message in a conversation with the secretary of the Army.

There is no way in heck that the career military brass will go after Vindman.  More likely some of Trump's political appointees may try, but no way it will be carried out.  These US military officers are people of honor and integrity.  Unlike Trump.  

3 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Game. Set. Match. 

 

The swamp is being drained!  Hopefully "disciplinary action" means a charge of treason.

 

Thank you President and Commander-in-chief Donald J. Trump!

massive military budget just announced, along with cuts to environmental checks and social programs - yeah, really draining the swamp and doing things differently.

4 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Game. Set. Match. 

 

The swamp is being drained!  Hopefully "disciplinary action" means a charge of treason.

 

Thank you President and Commander-in-chief Donald J. Trump!

The swamp is being filled with hubris and alternative facts by a person undeserving of the title Commander in Chief.

Just because he has the "honarary" title I do think it allows him to set policy above substance, without natural justice, which he seems to not know about, but as Chamberlaine one once said " we live in interesting times"

 

 

Some troll posts have been removed. 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the military may consider disciplining former National Security Council aide Alexander Vindman,

 

when he says "may" you know it's coming....

3 hours ago, Berkshire said:

There is no way in heck that the career military brass will go after Vindman.  More likely some of Trump's political appointees may try, but no way it will be carried out.  These US military officers are people of honor and integrity.  Unlike Trump.  

The way things are going, I doubt there are any people of honour and integrity left in the US. And even if there are, it will only be a matter of time before they are rooted out 

18 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

The swamp is being filled with hubris and alternative facts by a person undeserving of the title Commander in Chief.

Just because he has the "honarary" title I do think it allows him to set policy above substance, without natural justice, which he seems to not know about, but as Chamberlaine one once said " we live in interesting times"

 

 

The American voters decided he was indeed deserving of that very real title and more.  Having gone to the military academy, he had more military experience than Obama, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton combined.

Welcome to a president that is acting as an autocratic dictator. It's going to get even worse now. The only question going forward is whether the severe damage he has done to American democracy can possibly be reversed. 

 

Before anyone says elections keep in mind that Turkey, Russia, and Hungary have elections but they can't change anything. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/11/justice-department-becomes-political-hit-squad-an-unleashed-president/

 

The Justice Department becomes a political hit squad for an unleashed president

 

President Trump, empowered by acquittal in his impeachment trial and allowed free rein by his Republican Senate allies, has waged a war of vengeance and retribution against those who declined to enable his impeachable conduct. Now he has taken a club to the Justice Department.

Edited February 12, 20206 yr by Jingthing

He came on active duty  in 1999  so he has his twenty. He will  now retire, write his book and be a frequent guest on CNN, and MSNBC and when trump is reelected he will go away.

33 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

The American voters decided he was indeed deserving of that very real title and more.  Having gone to the military academy, he had more military experience than Obama, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton combined.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decades-later-disagreement-over-young-trumps-military-academy-post/2016/01/09/907a67b2-b3e0-11e5-a842-0feb51d1d124_story.html

Would this be the distinguished academy of which you speak?  It would seem he was excellent and giving orders, enabling bullying, breaking the rules and then lying about what he did.  But it could be 'fake news.'

Other sources say he refused to make a donation to his Alma Mater when it suffered financial troubles; hard to believe as he loved the place so much and claimed it did so much for him.

2 hours ago, animalmagic said:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decades-later-disagreement-over-young-trumps-military-academy-post/2016/01/09/907a67b2-b3e0-11e5-a842-0feb51d1d124_story.html

Would this be the distinguished academy of which you speak?  It would seem he was excellent and giving orders, enabling bullying, breaking the rules and then lying about what he did.  But it could be 'fake news.'

Other sources say he refused to make a donation to his Alma Mater when it suffered financial troubles; hard to believe as he loved the place so much and claimed it did so much for him.

Ahhh the washington post, owned by jeff bezos who hates Trump. 'Nuff said.

2 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Ahhh the washington post, owned by jeff bezos who hates Trump. 'Nuff said.

Jeff Bezos does not control the editorial content of Wapo.

This Videman character was in subordinate and thus ran afoul of many of the UCMJ rules. 

He needs to be stripped of rank and spend some quality time military prison. 

5 hours ago, keith101 said:

Even though Trumps body has aged to an old man his mentality is still that of a 5 year old child .

No need to insult young children

9 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

This Videman character was in subordinate and thus ran afoul of many of the UCMJ rules. 

He needs to be stripped of rank and spend some quality time military prison. 

Geez Boon Mee, you're outdoing even yourself.  Military prison?  For what?  This guy has a spotless record and was only doing his job by testifying truthfully.  The military isn't going to make up charges to appease Trump.  They'll transfer the guy, but that'll be the end of it. 

6 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Game. Set. Match. 

 

The swamp is being drained!  Hopefully "disciplinary action" means a charge of treason.

 

Thank you President and Commander-in-chief Donald J. Trump!

You are referring to this all-inclusive, self-decribed stable genius?

He certainly is multi-coloured.

Orange face.

Red inclinations.

Black moods.

....and a yellow streak a mile wide on his back!

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

This Videman character was in subordinate and thus ran afoul of many of the UCMJ rules. 

He needs to be stripped of rank and spend some quality time military prison. 

For telling the truth.

 

Welcome to the mindset of a Trump apologist.

Vindictiveness personified. 

And this from the President of the United States?

Pathetic lttle tyrant.......

7 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Game. Set. Match. 

 

The swamp is being drained!  Hopefully "disciplinary action" means a charge of treason.

 

Thank you President and Commander-in-chief Donald J. Trump!

If you love him so much why dont you go back and live there?

Well and truly fed up and disgusted reading about this vindictive person.

How on earth did the world deserve someone like this?

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Jeff Bezos does not control the editorial content of Wapo.

I also don't think Bezos hates Trump, it is very much the other way.

 

Bezos probably doesn't like him, but the hatred seems to be coming from one way only.