This week, ret. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman spoke out in support of the Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police departments after four officers, including two from each agency, publicly testified at the first hearing of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot. During that deadly riot, scores of law enforcement officers were viciously assaulted by rampaging supporters of Donald Trump. One of the officers who testified on Tuesday, Michael Fanone, was beaten and repeatedly tased on his head by Trump supporters, suffering a heart attack in connection to his injuries.
On Twitter, Vindman commented as follows:
‘I support the Capitol Police and the DC Metropolitan Police Department. We cannot move on until we have Accountability.’
I support the #CapitolPolice @CapitolPolice and the DC Metropolitan Police Department @DCPoliceDept. We cannot move on until we have #Accountability.
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) July 27, 2021
Vindman also addressed remarks by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) downplaying Tuesday’s hearing. Although these officers’ lives were probably forever affected by what happened, Kennedy callously referred to Tuesday’s hearing as “Pelosi’s partisan pageantry.” Vindman called Kennedy’s remarks “absolutely vile,” comparing the Senator’s language to the abuse endured by veterans of the Vietnam War.
As Vindman put it, referring to remarks by Kennedy:
‘This is no different than Vietnam War veterans being subjected to people spitting on them when they returned home. Absolutely vile. We need #Accountability’
This is no different than Vietnam War veterans being subjected to people spitting on them when they returned home. Absolutely vile. We need #Accountability #HereRightMatters https://t.co/8UwZJxQgku
— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) July 27, 2021
Besides Fanone, D.C. officer Daniel Hodges was also present on Tuesday, alongside Sgt. Aquilino Gonell and officer Harry Dunn of the Capitol Police. Each of these officers shared stories of the violent abuse that they suffered through on January 6, as Trump backers attacked the Capitol building and attempted to forcibly stop the required formal certification by Congress of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. As Gonell put it at one point, discussing a particular moment amid the violence: “I could feel myself losing oxygen and recall thinking to myself, ‘This is how I’m going to die, trampled defending this entrance.'” Hodges, meanwhile, was crushed by a mob against a door at one point, temporarily pinning him in place and leaving him unable to extricate himself from the crowd as the rioting Trump supporters attempted to force their way through. Footage has circulated widely showing Hodges screaming in pain as that moment unfolded — and as the Trump supporters continued their assault.
