Dems Strike Back After Trump Fires Vindman And Sondland
There is an old saying: “when you come for the king you better not miss.” President Donald Trump proved that theory days after he was acquitted by the Senate in his impeachment trial as he exacted his revenge on two key witnesses.
Trump Draws First Blood On Vindman
War veteran Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who was born in the Ukraine, was removed from his post at the National Security Council on Friday and escorted from the White House. His twin brother, NSC attorney Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman was fired along with him, CNN reported.
“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,” Vindman attorney David Pressman said. “LTC Vindman was asked to leave for telling the truth. His honor, his commitment to right, frightened the powerful.”
He said that Yevgeny was fired “suddenly and with no explanation, despite over two decades of loyal service to this country.” Alex Vindman is expected to continue to work for the Pentagon though it is unknown what his role will be.
“We welcome back all of our service members, wherever they serve, to any assignment they are given,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said. “We can confirm that both Lt. Cols. Vindman have been reassigned to the Department of the Army, out of respect for their privacy, we will not be providing any further information at this time,” he said.
A source told CNN that Vindman believed he would still be able to do his job at the NSC, even after his testimony, but found that was not the case when he went back.
“Alex was a bit naïve about it at first — because he believed that since he did what he thought was right, things would work out,” the source said. “But it eventually became clear that wasn’t how things were going to go this time.”
Gordon Sondland Thanks Trump
European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland was the second person to be fired by the president on Friday. He issued a statement thanking the commander-in-chief for the opportunity to serve, even though most believed he was fired as an act of vengeance for his testimony during the House impeachment inquiry.
“I was advised today that the President intends to recall me effective immediately as United States Ambassador to the European Union,” he said. “I am grateful to President Trump for having given me the opportunity to serve, to Secretary Pompeo for his consistent support, and to the exceptional and dedicated professionals at the U.S. Mission to the European Union. I am proud of our accomplishments. Our work here has been the highlight of my career.”
The Aftermath
But top Democrats were not as forgiving of the president as they issued damning statements against his actions.
““Lieutenant Colonel Vindman has proven to be an American patriot: on the battlefield when he earned a Purple Heart, and in the House trial when he spoke truth to power. His brave testimony showed America that right still matters,” House Speaker and California Rep. Nancy Pelosi said.
“President Trump is impeached forever. The shameful firing of Colonel Vindman was a clear and brazen act of retaliation that showcases the President’s fear of the truth. The President’s vindictiveness is precisely what led Republican Senators to be accomplices to his cover-up. The firing of this patriotic soldier is a sad and shameless loss for America’s security. History will remember Lieutenant Colonel Vindman as an American hero,” she said.
“Lt. Col. Vindman did his job. As a soldier in Iraq, he received a Purple Heart. Then he displayed another rare form of bravery — moral courage. He complied with a subpoena and told the truth. He upheld his oath when others would not. Right matters to him. And to us,” Rep. Adam Schiff said.
“President Trump is exacting his retribution, removing those who complied with subpoenas, came forward, and testified about his misconduct. These are the actions of a man who believes he is above the law — Precisely the kind of conduct Congressional Republicans enabled,” he said.
An advisor to the president told CNN that the move was “Flushing out the pipes,” said that “It was necessary.” And the president’s son, Donald trump Jr., echoed that mindset.
“Allow me a moment to thank—and this may be a bit of a surprise—Adam Schiff. Were it not for his crack investigation skills, @realDonaldTrump might have had a tougher time unearthing who all needed to be fired. Thanks, Adam!” he said.
I think the president is a crazy sick man that need people around him that he can control and are afraid of him because if you don’t follow his lead then he removed from you duties we as American people can’t keep letting his lies bring us down enough of this craziness his family making money off the White House and his presidency he is not above the law but Republicans are so afraid of him there letting this stuff happen
I’m worried about our country now! Trump and the Republican party at which don’t see the wrong and I bet getting paid in the shadows by the trump the demon. How can they be like him?? Now ones who told the truth are getting fired. For being honest! Americans need to get rid of trump and clean the Republican swamp!!!
We are literally watching season 4 of handmaid tales developing right in front of our eyes. What’s next? Ppl hanging from the walls? Wait,that was season 1.what happened to barr, nunes and sekelow and why are they still in our govt? #GOPTraitors
Well spoken, we all must pray to our father to defeat Trump at the voting poles.
I can’t seem to get an answer, could someone clear this for me. If Trump is impeached and the constitution says that if the president is impeached he can not run for any public office and can not run for a second term then why is Trump allowed to run? Did the acquital take away the impeachment thus allowing him to run?
I’ll answer, and I won’t even be rude. The constitution does not deny an impeached President from running for a second term or any other office. Impeachment really means nothing without a conviction and removal. Acquittal means the President continues to serve without stipulation, ie he hasn’t done anything wrong.
It would seam a person would not run for office due to embarrassment, remorse, and scrutiny at home from others who love you. A stranger would hope justice intervenes especially when people act illogical. You would think others near your home would support this kind of effort at dinner tables, shopping, or visiting neighbors. No one wants to comment on the elephant in the room because of the repercussions for saying what really is. It is the reason why nice guys always finish last, and no good need goes unpunished, AND you are all on your own when you turn 18.
American society needs an enema, and it is not the good people here that need to be flushed. In fact a crisis can be a good thing, it snows us what is out of whack and hints at ideas on how to get it back into wack; hold the ones close to you accountable with any means and this is called “by hook or crook”.
Trump draining the swamp as promised MAGA 2020
It seems to me that the Democratic party likes to lie and spread anamosity against President trump and the Republican party. For some reason the Democratic party thinks that President Trump’s aquital was an accidental decision by Congress open your eyes Democrats instead of trying to figure out what you think someone has or is doing you should check your own back yards. The only thing I can see that President Trump has done is allow the Democratic party to make a mockery out of the government and what they do for us.my best advice for the Democratic party is to work with the powers that be instead of trying to over throw our President. He was elected to his office by the people. And the people had enough of the Democratic partys lieing and deceptive behavior that caused most of the world to hate us. If you look back to 911 for instance. That’s called lieing and deceptful behavior. Look a little further back to Monica luewinski, probably spelled that name wrong but I’m sure you get my drift.
Yes, you misspelled several words. Please read your newspaper, where a main story is how our closest ally, is distancing itself from us after our wonderful president has been yelling and cursing at the prime minister because her is not following Trump’s orders. He is despised and ridiculed globally.
The Democratic Party is NOT telling lies! If ANY of you bothered to do ANY research on the dolt, you would find a fake, a liar and a thief. He has lied to the IRS and been fined like he was just a “bad boy”, he has destroyed contractors and businesses alike for decades! The number of lies you see increasing daily is not a ruse. It is FACT. Checked and re-checked by an independent source. Open your eyes! You would have voted for Hitler, I’m sure!
Born just before the end of World War II in Germany, I have always had a hard time understanding how Hitler came to power. I now see what’s happening in this country and i understand a little better. Trumpers follow him blindly, believe anything of the many lies he tells without fact checking reliable sources, and most amazing to me hardly stay informed of what’s going on As a proud American Citizen since 1968,, it hurts me to see this country lose respect all over the world and previous great allies are distancing from this country. Unbelievably sad. We need some sanity in this country to restore our good name and position of leadership.
You pathetic bunch of ignorant Democrats should shut the hell up. I as well as most Americans are tired of fitting the bill for your gimme, gimme, gimme mindless thoughts. I don’t want to pay for your lazy ass ways and I damn sure don’t want to pay for illegal immigrants or those that come here for the free ride you all enjoy giving them. That’s why you will loose the house and don’t have a chance in hell of winning the Presidency. Time for Pelosi and you Pelosi lovers to get a free one way ticket to Afghanistan.
Why are the Republican comments so vitriolic and angry? Everyone in this country has the right to their own beliefs and as of today, we still have freedom of speech. Make your point without name calling or expect us all to think that that’s all you have to say. Also… Come on with the spelling and grammar, you’re not doing yourselves any favors with that.
So, Jennifer, you don’t like name calling but it’s okay for you to insult peoples grammar mistakes and typo’s. It also appears you can only read negative comments by Republicans, since apparently you have glasses that filter out all negative comments by Democrats (kind of like getting your news from CNN and MSNBC). Hmmm. Maybe the clueless democrat genius Harvett Bellamy with his 81 word sentence with no punctuation can collaborate with you to call out the vitriol and bad grammar you can’t see due to your leftist glasses. And BTW, yes Republicans are angry, (finally!) and we’re tired of you and your ilk.
You have the right to your opinions, not facts. There is a difference
I take it English is your 2rd language.
Doris Lessing – quote, Ideally, what should be said to every child, repeatedly, throughout his or her school life is something like this: “You are in the process of being indoctrinated. We have not yet evolved a system of education that is not a system of indoctrination. We are sorry, but it is the best we can do. What you are being taught here is an amalgam of current prejudice and the choices of this particular culture. The slightest look at history will show how impermanent these must be. You are being taught by people who have been able to accommodate themselves to a regime of thought laid down by their predecessors. It is a self-perpetuating system. Those of you who are more robust and individual than others will be encouraged to leave and find ways of educating yourself — educating your own judgements. Those that stay must remember, always, and all the time, that they are being moulded and patterned to fit into the narrow and particular needs of this particular society.”
When your car breaks down I am pretty sure there are not many who call this a democratic failure or republican. Your car is a system, each part relying on another to accomplish more than a single part alone can acomplish. So when you speak about what is broken about government well try to address the problems factually instead of repeating over used sound bites from corporate media. Corporate media includes all broadcasters using advertisements to pay their bills. The reason why their news is tilted is due to an advertiser telling the paper their product looks bad while a news story about climate change affects car sales especially ones with lower mpg ratings.
The democratic party and Republican Party have both been bought by corporations. Yes obviously democratic thinkers are less invected but dont get any ideas that change will come from any of them before it happens to consumers. It is why many people around the world are realizing that a citizen of a country has less power than a consumer; as consumers you can build a more stable community sooner than law m Akers at the hill affect you in any positive way. This is done by collective boycotting; buying responsibly where companies are promoted for using resources not obtained by wars, employees are taken care of, profits are kept in this country, and the environment is not degraded. The companies who do what they want regardless to their responsibility to the community are avoided like a hot potato. This makes buying stocks useless, it makes voting less important; to puts the checks a balances into the hands of the ones who actually use the resources.
As far as human behavior. Try reading Burroughs, Doris Lessing, Alice Miller, and especially Geisel. There is a reason why old saying like the following have been used: nice guys finish last, no one wants to notice the elephant standing in the middle of the library floor, and the exporter has no clothes. People will go along with inside ideas that defy all common sense as long as they benefit in some way and this may be material gain, or guard ones own ignorance and embarrassment of that in front of others. Dr. Seuss books spoke a great deal about courage, and his books were meant more for the adults reading them over and over to their children in hopes the adults finally learn.
I can jot speak enough about the amount of ignorance here in some of these posts. It is why children are suing parents in the UK over irresponsible behavior on how they make their money and in turn destroy their Childrens future. And this will become a trend young people outgrowing their parents, and begin to confront them; which is the message Alices e Miller sent us in her radio interview after tearing up her contract with psychology association thus determining therapy does not help at all. The only thing that works is people standing up to wrong, and others support them. I mean. You always have to say a lot of words and waste emotion when trying to convince a moron about the truth. Doris Lessing says they are not morons but greedy selfish childish people who are determined to get their way thinking they are the only coke in the desert. Our kids have something to say about THAT.