War heroes slammed Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a National Security Council official who testified Tuesday in the impeachment inquiry’s third public hearing.
Vindman, who served as director of Eurasia at the NSC, testified that after listening to the July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy, he went to the NSC lawyer to report his concerns about the call.
Specifically, Vindman testified that he thought it was wrong that Trump brought up investigations into allegations of whether Ukraine interfered in the 2016 elections as well as allegations surrounding Hunter Biden’s seat on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company whose executive was being investigated for corruption.
Vindman testified that he did not have concerns whether it was illegal or a crime, but said he found it morally wrong. He also testified that he advised the Ukrainians not to get involved in U.S. domestic politics.
Vindman’s testimony rubbed some military veterans the wrong way, including prominent war heroes.
Mark Geist, a Marine who fought off terrorists during the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack on the U.S. annex in Libya, tweeted:
Vindman is a disgrace to all who have served. Transcript of his previous closed door testimony he clearly admits to undermining the @POTUS foreign policy and now he has chairman Schiff advising him on how to answer questions.
Rob O’Neill, the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden, also criticized Vindman as an “operative.”
“I agree. I wish the left wouldn’t use his uniform to make him a saint. He’s an operative with an agenda,” he said in response to a tweet by the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr.
Trump Jr. tweeted: “Anyone listening to Vindman stammer through this seemingly trying to remember the Catch Phrases he was well coached on should get that. He’s a low level partisan bureaucrat and nothing more.”
Jonathan T. Gilliam, another well-known Navy SEAL tweeted:
“This guy reeks of spy! #Vindman should be added to the list of deep staters that should be charged with conspiracy to overthrow”:
And Tim Kennedy, a mixed martial arts fighter and current National Guard member tweeted: “Correcting a civilian about how to be a addressed is a for sure way to make everyone in the military think you are a douche bag.”
During his testimony, Vindman corrected House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) for calling him, “Mr. Vindman.”
Vindman interrupted Nunes with, “Ranking Member, it’s lieutenant colonel Vindman, please.”
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