{"id":30137,"date":"2020-02-07T17:38:21","date_gmt":"2020-02-07T17:38:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/07\/army-officer-who-testified-against-trump-likely-leaving-nsc-early-per-reports\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:04:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:04:42","slug":"army-officer-who-testified-against-trump-likely-leaving-nsc-early-per-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2020\/02\/07\/army-officer-who-testified-against-trump-likely-leaving-nsc-early-per-reports\/","title":{"rendered":"Army officer who testified against Trump out early from NSC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An Army officer who played a key role<\/a> in the House\u2019s impeachment inquiry against President Trump was escorted out of the White House<\/a> on Friday, according to his attorney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman<\/a> had been scheduled to rotate out of the White House this summer, CNN reported Friday<\/a>, but speculation swirled Friday morning that he would be leaving as soon as this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was escorted out of the White House where he has dutifully served his country and his President,\u201d David Pressman said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vindman\u2019s twin brother, Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, was also ousted from his role as a judge advocate assigned to the NSC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can confirm that both Lt. Cols. Vindman have been reassigned to the Department of the Army,” Col. Kathleen Turner told Military Times in a statement. \u201cOut of respect for their privacy, we will not be providing any further information at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His move from the NSC was expected, given that he testified in defiance of Trump\u2019s wishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou think I\u2019m supposed to be happy with him?\u201d Trump told reporters as he spoke to the press outside the White House Friday morning. \u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ukraine-born infantry officer made headlines last year after testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on Trump\u2019s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe truth has cost Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman his job, his career, and his privacy,\u201d Pressman said. \u201cHe did what any member of our military is charged with doing every day: he followed orders, he obeyed his oath, and he served his country, even when doing so was fraught with danger and personal peril. And for that, the most powerful man in the world \u2015 buoyed by the silent, the pliable, and the complicit \u2015 has decided to exact revenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement, Rick Manning, president of the conservative group Americans for Limited Government, praised both the move to cut back National Security Council staff and reassign Vindman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe simple fact is that the NSC is not a lifetime assignment, and actors like Vindman no longer have any use, as no one in their right mind would include him in any meeting of consequence due to his role leaking confidential presidential conversations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t