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Vindman tells impeachment hearing he reported 'improper' Trump call immediately – live | Vindman tells impeachment hearing he reported 'improper' Trump call immediately – live |
(32 minutes later) | |
Key witness testifies publicly on Trump’s Ukraine call and says ‘vile’ character attacks on those testifying ‘reprehensible’ – follow the latest live | Key witness testifies publicly on Trump’s Ukraine call and says ‘vile’ character attacks on those testifying ‘reprehensible’ – follow the latest live |
Lt Col Alexander Vindman testified that after he reported his concerns on Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, he was excluded from several meetings he usually would have attended in his capacity as the top Ukraine expert on the NSC. | |
Vindman said he could not make a determination on whether that exclusion constituted retaliation after he raised concerns, but he felt it was unusual. | |
Republican representative Brad Wenstrup, an Army reserve officer, accused Lt Col Alexander Vindman of going outside the chain of command by reporting his concerns on Trump’s Ukraine call to the White House counsel’s office rather than Tim Morrison, his direct superior. | |
Vindman testified that Morrison did not make himself available, but Wenstrup pushed back against that. This line of questioning will almost certainly be picked up again this afternoon, when Morrison testifies. | |
Committee chairman Adam Schiff pushed back against Republican representative John Ratcliffe’s line of questioning, which was meant to argue that none of the impeachment witnesses had testified to a bribery scheme in Trump’s communications with Ukraine. | |
Schiff said that those testifying during the impeachment hearings are fact witnesses and cannot reach a determination on bribery, pointing out that House members will be required to use their own judgment on the matter. | |
Asked about Rudy Giuliani’s unofficial efforts to influence US-Ukrainian policy, Lt Col Alexander Vindman said that the maneuvers by the president’s personal lawyer were unhelpful to the country’s national security. | |
The next Republican questioner at today’s public impeachment hearing was representative John Ratcliffe, who largely avoided asking the witnesses questions in his five minutes. | |
Instead, he pointed to the ten closed-door depositions he had printed out and argued none of the witness testimony in the inquiry mentioned “bribery” when describing Trump’s communications with Ukraine. | |
However, a number of witnesses discussed a potential “quid pro quo” in connection to Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and the 2016 election. | |
After another flare-up over protecting the identity of the whistleblower whose complaint initiated the impeachment inquiry, Democratic representative Jim Himes asked Jennifer Williams and Lt Col Alexander Vindman whether they are “never Trumpers.” | After another flare-up over protecting the identity of the whistleblower whose complaint initiated the impeachment inquiry, Democratic representative Jim Himes asked Jennifer Williams and Lt Col Alexander Vindman whether they are “never Trumpers.” |
The president has previously claimed the witnesses in the impeachment inquiry are only testifying because they are politically opposed to him. | The president has previously claimed the witnesses in the impeachment inquiry are only testifying because they are politically opposed to him. |
But Williams said she did not identify as a “never Trumper,” and Vindman told Himes, “I’d call myself never partisan.” | But Williams said she did not identify as a “never Trumper,” and Vindman told Himes, “I’d call myself never partisan.” |
Republican representative Jim Jordan began his questioning of Lt Col Alexander Vindman by quoting former NSC official Tim Morrison’s closed-door testimony raising doubts about the Iraq war veteran’s reputation. | Republican representative Jim Jordan began his questioning of Lt Col Alexander Vindman by quoting former NSC official Tim Morrison’s closed-door testimony raising doubts about the Iraq war veteran’s reputation. |
Vindman responded by quoting his performance review from former White House official Fiona Hill just before she left the adminsitration, which applauds Vindman’s “brilliant” and “unflappable” demeanor. | Vindman responded by quoting his performance review from former White House official Fiona Hill just before she left the adminsitration, which applauds Vindman’s “brilliant” and “unflappable” demeanor. |
On the question of whether he ever leaked to the press, Vindman called the query “preposterous” and reiterated he would never share sensitive information with the media. | On the question of whether he ever leaked to the press, Vindman called the query “preposterous” and reiterated he would never share sensitive information with the media. |
Describing Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, Lt Col Alexander Vindman said there was no ambiguity in his mind that the commander-in-chief was asking Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden and his son. | Describing Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president, Lt Col Alexander Vindman said there was no ambiguity in his mind that the commander-in-chief was asking Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden and his son. |
The public impeachment hearing has resumed, and Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams will now take series of five-minute questions from members of the House intelligence committee. | The public impeachment hearing has resumed, and Lt Col Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams will now take series of five-minute questions from members of the House intelligence committee. |
However, it appears that Trump’s congressional allies have so far been unconvinced by the two officials’ damning testimony about the president’s Ukraine call. | However, it appears that Trump’s congressional allies have so far been unconvinced by the two officials’ damning testimony about the president’s Ukraine call. |
As the hearing takes a short break, it’s a good time to return to one answer that Jennifer Williams, an aide to the vice president, provided at the beginning of the House intelligence committee’s questioning. | As the hearing takes a short break, it’s a good time to return to one answer that Jennifer Williams, an aide to the vice president, provided at the beginning of the House intelligence committee’s questioning. |
When chairman Adam Schiff asked Williams about Mike Pence’s Sept. 18 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the longtime foreign service officer said she could not take questions about it because the White House had determined the conversation to be classified. | When chairman Adam Schiff asked Williams about Mike Pence’s Sept. 18 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the longtime foreign service officer said she could not take questions about it because the White House had determined the conversation to be classified. |
Williams said she would be willing to discuss the call in a classified setting or through a written statement to House members. | Williams said she would be willing to discuss the call in a classified setting or through a written statement to House members. |
Williams previously testified about the call in her closed-door deposition and said the two leaders had a “very positive” conversation that did not include discussion of investigations into Joe Biden or the 2016 election. | Williams previously testified about the call in her closed-door deposition and said the two leaders had a “very positive” conversation that did not include discussion of investigations into Joe Biden or the 2016 election. |