[Washington Examiner] Hillary Clinton used Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s own words to condemn President Trump for reportedly planning to remove the Army lieutenant colonel who testified during impeachment from the National Security Council.Vindman, 44, could be removed from his position as a Ukrainian expert who leads European affairs at the National Security Council as early as Friday. Although the reassignment has not been finalized, several people have criticized Trump for planning to remove Vindman. Clinton, 72, used Vindman’s opening remarks from his impeachment testimony to blast Trump.
"During his testimony about Trump’s crimes, Lt. Col. Vindman had a message for his father: 'You made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union. Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.' It’s appalling that this administration may prove him wrong," Clinton wrote.
Vindman, whose family immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union, was asked to testify in the House impeachment hearings because he had reported Trump’s July 25 phone call to his superiors in the National Security Council. He testified that the White House had pressured him to stay quiet about the phone call, which he felt was "improper."
In his public House testimony, Vindman described the fear his father had when he explained that he would be speaking out against Trump. He said, "In Russia, my act of expressing concern to the chain of command in an official and private channel would have severe personal and professional repercussions, and offering public testimony involving the president would surely cost me my life."
He continued, "I’m grateful to my father for his brave act of hope 40 years ago and for the privilege of being an American citizen and public servant where I can live free of fear for mine and my family’s safety. Dad, I’m sitting here today in the U.S. Capitol talking to our elected professionals. Talking to our elected professionals is proof that you made the right decision to leave the Soviet Union."