Think about this for a second: a man who doesn’t love America, who dodged the draft because he had sensitive bones (which may or may not have been a lie), has led a campaign of intimidation and retaliation so intense that a U.S. Army veteran is retiring after 21 years of service to his country.
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman will no longer be a member of the armed forces because his future “will forever be limited” due to the punk-ass president and his allies, who are complete assholes, Vindman’s lawyer told CNN Wednesday.
“Vindman has endured a ‘campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation’ spearheaded by the President following his testimony in the impeachment inquiry last year,” his attorney, Amb. David Pressman, told CNN.
All of this can be traced back to Vindman’s public testimony in November.
From CNN:
Trump fired Vindman as the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council in February and also ousted his twin brother who also played a key role in impeachment proceedings while serving at the White House as an NSC lawyer.
In recent weeks, the controversy has centered around allegations that the White House was attempting to block Vindman’s upcoming military promotion to the rank of colonel.
“The President of the United States attempted to force LTC Vindman to choose: Between adhering to the law or pleasing a President. Between honoring his oath or protecting his career. Between protecting his promotion or the promotion of his fellow soldiers,” Pressman said in a statement to CNN.
“These are choices that no one in the United States should confront, especially one who has dedicated his life to serving it,” he added, noting that Vindman “did what the law compelled him to do; and for that he was bullied by the President and his proxies.”
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper claims that Vindman is not being targeted, along with a CNN source claiming that the White House has been involved in Vindman’s attempts to get promoted. Vindman was told that there have been discussions at the Department of Defense about holding “his name back until after the election to avoid impacting the promotions of other service members,” the source told CNN.
It is “absurd and frightening” for the White House to be involved in promotions at this level, the source added.
Realizing that he was fighting an uphill battle, Vindman has decided to retire from the military, as it was clear to the 21-year-veteran who senior Army officials were working against his advancement.
“Specifically, Vindman was told by senior Army officials that he would no longer be deployable in his area of expertise, which includes Ukraine,” the source familiar with the situation told CNN.
The White House and Pentagon did not respond to CNN’s request for comment, but given the petty nature of this president, every word of Vindman’s story is believable.