Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney criticized some recent attacks against Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman by those who were questioning his patriotism and love of country.
“It really is shameful what the Democrats have been doing in terms of attempting to try to impeach a sitting president in the basement of the Capitol,” Cheney told reporters during a GOP leadership press conference on Tuesday. “Now, I also want to say a word about something else that has been going on over the course of the last several hours and last night, which I think is also shameful.”
“And that is questioning the patriotism, questioning the dedication to country of people like Mr. Vindman, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, who will be coming today and others who have testified,” she continued. “I think that we need to show that we are better than that as a nation.”
Vindman, an Army officer and a director of national security affairs at the National Security Council (NSC) is scheduled to testify in front of Congress about his concerns over the phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that kicked off the impeachment inquiry.
While Cheney refrained from directly naming to whom she was referring, her comments come only hours after Trump tweeted his concern over the “Never Trumper” White House official.
“Supposedly, according to the Corrupt Media, the Ukraine call ‘concerned’ today’s Never Trumper witness,” Trump said. “Was he on the same call that I was? Can’t be possible! Please ask him to read the Transcript of the call. Witch Hunt!”
Supposedly, according to the Corrupt Media, the Ukraine call “concerned” today’s Never Trumper witness. Was he on the same call that I was? Can’t be possible! Please ask him to read the Transcript of the call. Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2019
Some of Trump’s supporters have also alleged nefarious motivations behind Vindman’s impending alarm bells.
Vindman’s opening statements for the congressional hearing began publicly circulating on Monday evening. The remarks reportedly expressed his concerns over the president’s supposed pressure tactics on the Ukrainian government. As a result, he brought his concerns to top officials at the NSC on two separate occasions, acting on behalf of a “sense of duty.”
“I am a patriot,” Vindman is expected to say before the congressional panel. “And it is my sacred duty and honor to advance and defend our country irrespective of party or politics.”
Vindman, who is the top Ukraine expert at the White House, is a Ukrainian-American immigrant. He is a decorated Army colonel and received a Purple Heart after being wounded in Iraq by an improvised explosive device (IED) on the side of the road.
“We are talking about decorated veterans who have served this nation, who have put their lives on the line and it is shameful to question their patriotism, their love of this nation, and we should not be involved in that process,” Cheney said. “We need to make sure that we are abiding by and upholding the constitution.”
“Just because the Democrats refuse to do that does not mean that we ought to let ourselves be dragged down to the level in which they are operating,” she continued. “We won’t do that as Republicans.”