Revenge after acquittal: Trump fires two important witnesses

Donald Trump’s first statement after the impeachment acquittal was one Settlement with the political opponent and the few critics in their own ranks. The US President is now turning the hard words into action.

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Two key witnesses who testified against him during the impeachment investigation were released from their duties on Friday (local time). He banished the lieutenant colonel and Ukraine expert Alexander Vindman from the White House, where he worked as an advisor to the National Security Council. Shortly afterwards, the US ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, told several US media that he had been informed that the president wanted to dismiss him as ambassador with immediate effect,

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Trump was acquitted of the allegations of abuse of power and interference with the Congressional investigation by the Senate on Wednesday with the majority of his Republicans. On Thursday, in a speech to cabinet members, high-ranking Republicans and supporters in the White House, he celebrated that the impeachment proceedings against him had ended.

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Shortly before, spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told Fox News that Trump would use the occasion to talk about how “horrific” he was treated – “and that maybe people should pay for it”.

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What she could have meant by this has been clearer since Friday. Vindman, a 44-year-old officer, had voiced criticism of Trump’s testimony during a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyi in November as a witness to the hearings during an impeachment investigation.

The phone call had launched the Democrats’ investigation and led to the formulation of the key allegations: that Trump had encouraged his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate his political rival Joe Biden in order to influence the 2020 presidential election in his favor.

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Sondland had testified in dealing with Ukraine on Trump’s orders to have worked with his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani demanded a “quid pro quo” – in return – for Selenskyj’s meeting with Trump in the White House. In return, Kiev should first publicly announce investigations into Biden’s damage.

In the video: Trump also hands out against party colleagues after his acquittal

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Democrats condemn the president’s vengeance

Vindman’s lawyer David Pressman said in a statement: “The most powerful man in the world (…) has decided to take revenge.” Vindman followed directions, obeyed and served his country – and had to go because he was telling the truth. Pressman also said that his client had been “escorted” out of the White House.

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The officer had apparently expected his expulsion after Trump’s acquittal in the. Vindman has told employees he expects to return to the Department of Defense in the next few weeks, CNN reported. According to plan, he would have only left the National Security Council in July when his two-year appointment expired.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Democrat Nancy Pelosicriticized the White House’s decision sharply: “The shameful dismissal of Lieutenant Colonel Vindman was a clear and brazen act of revenge that expresses the President’s fear of the truth.” House chief prosecutor Adam Schiff said: “These are the actions of a man who believes he is above the law.”

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