Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman Says Trump Administration Is Like an “Authoritarian Regime”

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman wrote an op-ed saying the Trump administration is reminiscent of an “authoritarian regime” on Saturday. He released this op-ed on the first day of his retirement from the Army. Vindman is a key impeachment witness against President Trump, Fox News reported.

“At no point in my career or life have I felt our nation’s values under greater threat and in more peril than at this moment. Our national government during the past few years has been more reminiscent of the authoritarian regime my family fled more than 40 years ago than the country I have devoted my life to serving,” Vindman wrote, referring to his birthplace, Ukraine.

After 21 years, Vindman decided to leave the military. He left due to a “campaign of bullying, intimidation and retaliation” by Trump and his allies. This, then, caused him to experience a lack of career advancement.

Vindman Airs His Opinions

“Our citizens are being subjected to the same kinds of attacks tyrants launch against their critics and political opponents,” he said. “Those who choose loyalty to American values and allegiance to the Constitution over devotion to a mendacious president and his enablers are punished.”

Vindman testified in last year’s impeachment inquiry. He told congressional lawmakers “that he raised alarms about Trump’s call with Ukraine’s president,” as per Politico. During the call, “Trump appeared to make U.S. aid to the country contingent upon an investigation of Democratic political rival Joe Biden and his son’s business dealings.”

There have been reactions to Vindman’s op-ed online. Some of Trump’s supporters, such as Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, came to his defense.

“Vindman is no martyr,” Zeldin tweeted. “He lied under oath about not knowing who the whistleblower was. He falsely claims to be a chain of command guy, he added. Zeldin went on to say that Vindman, however, “didn’t use his chain of command to speak to Tim Morrison.”

Vindman also talked about Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the president “recklessly downplayed” the threat.

“Millions are grieving the loss of loved ones and many more have lost their livelihoods while the president publicly bemoans his approval ratings,” Vindman said.

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