Alexander Vindman Routs Donald Trump During ‘CBS’ Interview

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During an interview that aired as part of CBS Sunday Morning over the weekend, ret. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman shared some of his personal thoughts about the events that propelled his name into national prominence. Vindman served as part of the National Security Council when then-President Donald Trump used a phone conversation to try and pressure the Ukrainian president into investigating the Bidens, and Vindman, as part of his duties, listened to that call, allowing for his subsequent revelation to Congress of the truth of what took place. On CBS, Vindman indicated that he stood by his decision to come forward, characterizing his travails — including somewhat of a falling out within the Army, from which he eventually resigned — as a “small sacrifice for my nation.”

Could Trump himself even be said to have made any “sacrifices” for the United States? Trump’s time in the public spotlight and his tenure as president have been, at least for him, focused on himself. As Americans became ill and died by the thousands from COVID-19, Trump often seemed to prioritize ranting on Twitter. To him, public service seemed like little more than a show to boost his image.

Asked what the call between Trump and the Ukrainian president “sound[ed] like,” Vindman shared the following:

‘[Trump] was distant. He was morose. He was reluctantly conducting this phone call, and only when they came around to the discussion of the Bidens did he kind of engage and perk up.’

Trump’s hope in getting Ukraine to investigate the Bidens was to see the release of damaging information, and the then-president and his allies held military assistance for Ukraine in limbo as this pressure campaign unfolded. After impeachment proceedings against Trump played out in connection to his infamous phone conversation with the Ukrainian leader, Vindman says that he “very, very quickly… discovered” that the Defense Department hoped to get him “out of sight and out of mind.”

Vindman added as follows:

‘How many officers in the United States Army can pinpoint exactly the moment they made the difference? And that seems like a small price to pay, a small sacrifice for my nation.’

Asked if he’d really been “fine,” as he claimed he would be at the conclusion of an opening statement to Congress, Vindman added the following:

‘It didn’t look great, and I was deeply concerned about taking care of my family, meeting my family’s needs, but I also had the confidence that I would be able to start over like my father did.’

In 1979, Vindman’s father moved, with Alexander and his two brothers, from Ukraine (which was at that time part of the Soviet Union) to the United States. Watch Vindman’s appearance on CBS below: