A coalition of over 1,100 veterans condemned President Trump for his dismissal of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman from his post on the National Security Council.
According to Military Times, Vindman was dismissed on February 7th after testifying against President Trump in the impeachment inquiry last fall, where he stated his concerns over a phone call by Trump to the Ukrainian president to push for a foreign investigation into his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Administration officials described the dismissal of Vindman as a part of a “routine downsizing,” but Trump later described Vindman as a “sub-par worker who may have leaked government secrets,” implying that the dismissal was more than just routine. Additionally, just days after Vindman’s removal, Trump called for the Army to investigate whether or not further punishment against Vindman was warranted. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has since stated that there is no current investigation of the officer.
These continued actions against Vindman inspired anti-Trump group National Security Action to organize more than one thousand military veterans in order to defend their fellow veteran.
“The president should know that, despite taking aim at one Army officer, he has targeted anyone who currently wears — or has worn — the uniform,” the group stated in an open letter. “Our service members and veterans deserve the confidence of knowing that our elected leaders will come to their defense, just as they remain vigilant for ours.”
Vindman’s attorney has since denied President Trump’s statements about Vindman’s possible misconduct and considers the dismissal a “personal attack by the president against a honorably serving military officer.”
“The dismissal of LTC Vindman … appears to be motivated by nothing more than political retribution and deprives the White House of expertise necessary to defend our collective national security,” the group of veterans stated in the new letter. “The manner of these dismissals suggests that the commander-in-chief has prioritized a personal vendetta over our national security… Trump’s attacks on the officer take aim at the long-standing military code of conduct that demands that service members report wrongdoing and illegal acts through proper channels.”
To read the full letter, please click here.
BREAKING: More than 1,000 U.S. military veterans, representing all five branches and hundreds of years of collective experience, condemn President Trump's attacks on LTC Alexander Vindman. https://t.co/J2LHnkj7kR https://t.co/WadzW65kax
— National Security Action (@natsecaction) February 18, 2020
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