Democratic lawmakers are taking a swipe at President Donald Trump following the announcement from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman of his retirement from the U.S. military.
Vindman, who was a witness during the impeachment hearings, made the news known on Wednesday, where his lawyer also wrote in a statement, “After more than 21 years of military service, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman is retiring today after it has been made clear that his future within the institution he has dutifully served will be forever limited.”
In response, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement that history will remember Vindman as “an American patriot, who proved his heroism both on the battlefield when he earned a Purple Heart and in the House impeachment trial when he spoke truth to power.”
She then went on to slam Trump for his “shameful firing” of Vindman, calling it “a clear and brazen act of retaliation that showcases the President’s fear of the truth.”
“It is sad that America is losing this patriotic soldier because of the President’s cruel vindictiveness and disrespect for the Constitution and our national security,” the top Democratic lawmaker added.
Additionally, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who was the lead impeachment manager in the Senate trial against Trump, told MSNBC on Wednesday, “What makes the punishment of Col. Vindman possible, is not just this amoral president, but it’s a GOP and Congress that is not only unwilling to lift a finger or speak a word in his defense but quite to the contrary piled on the attacks on Col. Vindman.”
Watch Schiff’s remarks below:
Rep. Schiff: "What makes the punishment of Col. Vindman possible, is not just this amoral president, but it's a GOP and Congress that is not only unwilling to lift a finger or speak a word in his defense, but quite to the contrary piled on the attacks on Col. Vindman." pic.twitter.com/9bZh7JaFI8
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 8, 2020
Schiff also wrote a letter to Vindman on Wednesday, saying, “Right matters. Right does not matter to Donald Trump. But it matters to you. It matters to this country and to its people. It will always matter.”
He continued, “And with those words, you have left an indelible mark on our nation’s conscience and history. For if right does not matter in our country, if truth does not matter, then we are truly lost.”
“Thank you for your service. It matters,” Schiff concluded.
See Schiff’s full letter below:
A letter to Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman:
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) July 8, 2020
Right does not matter to Donald Trump. But it matters to you. It matters to this country and to its people. It will always matter.
And with those words, you have left an indelible mark on our nation’s conscience and history. pic.twitter.com/sysJxdRQpU
Vindman was the National Security Council’s (NSC) top Ukraine expert before his removal in February after he appeared before the House of Representatives in Trump’s impeachment trial. Last year, he testified that he was worried about the allegation that the president pressured Ukraine to dig up information on political rival Joe Biden.
The House voted largely along party lines in passing two articles of impeachment against Trump — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate then acquitted Trump earlier this year.