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Thursday, 28 March 2024

Trump ousts WH staffer Vindman who testified against him -lawyer

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Trump ousts WH staffer Vindman who testified against him -lawyer
Trump ousts WH staffer Vindman who testified against him -lawyer

The Trump administration on Friday removed Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman from his position as the White House's top Ukraine expert after he provided damaging testimony about President Donald Trump during the impeachment process, Vindman's lawyer said.

Jillian Kitchener has more.

President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial may be over... but the the drama is not.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman - a key witness who recently testified against Trump's efforts in Ukraine - was removed on Friday from his White House job as a top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council.

That's according to Vindman's lawyer, who said he was asked to leave for telling the truth and that Trump - quote - "has decided to exact revenge." Vindman told lawmakers in the House impeachment inquiry that Trump made an improper demand of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July phone call that became the centerpiece of the impeachment probe.

At the time, Vindman testified how he reassured his Soviet-born father he wouldn't face repercussions for his involvement in the hearings.

Earlier on Friday Trump did not hide his feelings about him.

(SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING: ”I’m not happy with him.

You think I'm supposed to be happy with him?..." A source told Reuters that Vindman would be reassigned to the Defense Department.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper earlier on Friday was asked if he would shield Vindman from any retribution from the president.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY MARK ESPER, SAYING IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT REPORTS THAT LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALEXANDER VINDMAN WILL RETURN TO PENTAGON: "We welcome back all of our service members whenever they have serviced, to any assignment they have been given.

I would refer you to the Army for any more detail on that.

As I said, we protect all of our service members from retribution or anything like that." Vindman - along with senior White House aide Jennifer Williams - have been cast by Trump as 'Never Trumpers’.

According to Bloomberg, Williams - who also testified against Trump - left earlier this week for a post at the U.S. military's Central Command.

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