Confirmed: Vindman Falsified Trump's Phone Call With Zelensky
Alexander Vindman's testimony today was an utter disaster on so many levels--but it could hardly have been otherwise, given what has emerged since his secret deposition. This is one that will come back to haunt Vindman and the Dems, or maybe will bite them in the ass--your choice of metaphors:
VINDMAN, on October 29: "I do not know who the whistleblower is."
VINDMAN and his lawyer, today: I won't tell you the name of the intel analyst I deliberately leaked to, because it would out the anti-Trump whistleblower.
Pick one, Vindman. Because one of those is a lie. pic.twitter.com/0gq8UM9Vdi
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) November 19, 2019
On a perhaps trivial level, speaking as a civilian who once spent a year in a military environment:
Correcting a civilian about how to be a addressed is a for sure way to make everyone in the military think you are a douche bag. https://t.co/uclV6B7VnG
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) November 19, 2019
And then there's this:
In his prepared statement provided to Congress, Vindman claimed to be the top adviser to the President of the United States on Ukraine policy. He was later forced to admit he's never met Trump, never spoke to Trump, and has never advised him on anything. https://t.co/rphgP0QeqS
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) November 19, 2019
Because maybe Vindman's superiors at the NSC made sure Vindman never spoke to the president. Which leads us to something we noted a few days ago but has gotten little notice today, except at Breitbart--Vindman Admits Making up Parts of Trump Call Summary :
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman admitted he made up elements of President Donald Trump’s call with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an official summary.
Prior to the call, Vindman included a discussion about corruption in the talking points provided to the president but Trump did not use them in the call.
The summary Vindman wrote after the call read:
President Trump underscored the unwavering support of the United States for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity – within its internationally recognized borders – and expressed his commitment to work together with President-elect Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people to implement reforms that strengthen democracy, increase prosperity, and root out corruption.
But Vindman clarified during his testimony that the president did not bring up the topic rooting out corruption during the phone call, but he included it in his summary of the call anyway.
When asked by the Democrat counsel about whether the summary he wrote was false, Vindman hesitated.
“That’s not entirely accurate, but I’m not sure I would describe it as false, it was consistent with U.S. policy,” Vindman said.
Vindman said he included the rhetoric about corruption as a “messaging platform” to describe U.S. policy toward Ukraine, even though it was not discussed on the call.
In other words, Vindman used the call summary as released to the press as "messaging platform" to express to the world what HE WANTED US POLICY TO BE (Did Vindman Falsify Trump's April Call With Zelensky? ). President in his own mind.
This is the nut of the whole thing.
Vindman apparently believes that HE’S the one who makes & coordinates U.S. policy.
This may come as a shock to him and the Democrats, but the President of the United States makes U.S. policy.
Case closed.
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) November 19, 2019
And there was much, much more.