White House Weighs Ouster of Colonel Vindman Who Testified Against Trump

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The White House is weighing a plan to dismiss Alexander Vindman from the National Security Council after he testified in President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry, preparing to position the move as part of a broader effort to shrink the foreign policy bureaucracy, two people familiar with the matter said.

Any moves would come after the Senate on Wednesday acquitted Trump on a near party-line vote at the conclusion of the two-week impeachment trial. The White House intends to portray any house-cleaning as part of a downsizing of the NSC staff, not retaliation, according to the people.

Vindman was one of the Democrats’ most crucial witness in their impeachment proceedings -- a decorated Army lieutenant colonel, who raised the alarm over the president’s July 25 telephone call with Ukraine’s leader. Before Vindman’s testimony, the only account of that call came from an anonymous whistle-blower whose identity has remained largely hidden to this day, and a partial transcript released by the White House.

Some of the officials being targeted for removal from the NSC would be reassigned because they’re perceived as being disloyal to the president, three people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity owing to the sensitivity of personnel moves.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-07/white-house-weighs-ouster-of-aide-who-testified-against-trump

[dalton99a]

1. He is on the enemies list

[2naSalit]

2. Imagine that!

As my 92 yo mother would say with total sarcasm.

[raging moderate]

3. We could all send applications to get on the Enemies List.

People did that when Nixon's Enemies List was discovered. Prominent people all at once expressed dismay that they had not been considered worthy to get on the Enemies List. A whole bunch of people began to flood the White House with requests to be put on the Enemies List.

[RockRaven]

4. The US is absolutely flying blind (or worse) for the next year. Nobody with any expertise will

be listened to, because anyone with any expertise (on ANY topic) will be seen as disloyal -- because Trumpland is the most moronic and ignorant group of corrupt assholes anyone has ever imagined.

[DesertRat]

5. We're in the heads-on-pikes phase of burgeoning authoritarianism

Walter Shaub
✔
@waltshaub
We're in the heads-on-pikes phase of burgeoning authoritarianism:

- Trump is going after witnesses for testifying to Congress
- Trump and his allies are going after Romney
- Senators, with help from Trump's Treasury Dept., are going after Trump's political rival and his son
- Senators are preparing to go after the whistleblower
- DHS is going after New York
- Barr is investigating DOJ employees for investigating Trump
- Barr issued a policy requiring DOJ investigations of Trump or his political rivals to go through Barr

This is just the start.

Link to tweet

[greenjar_01]

6. Probably the most honorable man in the entire United States military at this moment

Think about that.

[democrattotheend]

7. What is his employee status?

Is he a political appointee or a career bureaucrat? If the latter, is he on the GS scale or is he Senior Executive Service? Depending on his status, Trump may only be able to remove him for cause. I would sure love to represent him in a MSPB and/or whistleblower proceeding.

[DeminPennswoods]

9. Vindman is an active duty US Army officer

The worst that can happen to him is that his detail will end and he'll be returned to whatever job he held previously. It's also possible that Vindman's superior could be pressured into giving him a poor fitness report (evaluation) that could affect his chances at promotion and could cause him to retire under the military's "up or out" policy. Or, it's possible he is assigned him to a undesirable job or job location, but that's about it.

[tavernier]

11. Ask the people who stood up to Putin what the worst was that could happen...

Oh wait... Can’t. They’re all dead.

[Calista241]

8. Trump doesn't have to fire him. If Trump is smart, he'll have the military promote him

to a full bird colonel, and stick him in some useless Pentagon job. Either way, he’s off the NSC and out of Trump’s hair. And he’ll be going from a position that matters to managing a supply depot somewhere.

[Maru Kitteh]

10. I love how "If Trump is smart" is prerequisite

in your post outlining a logical action - Illustrating (by default) that Trump will most assuredly take whatever available course is nearly the opposite.

[Johonny]

12. Eventually, this whole house of cards is going to collapse

There's no one talented in charge of nearly every aspect of the executive branch.

[kentuck]

13. My bet is, he is gone.

Revenge does not have eyes to see.