Attendees at the impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump broke into applause Tuesday afternoon after the witness, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, said he did not fear coming forward to testify because, “This is America.”

Vindman was asked by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) why he felt compelled to reassure his father, an immigrant from Ukraine, that he would not be punished for putting himself “in direct opposition to the most powerful person in the world.”

Round of applause in the room as Lt. Col. Vindman explains why he's confident in his decision to come forward, despite the risks.
"This is America. This is the country I've served and defended. That all of my brothers have served. Here, right matters." #impeachmenthearings pic.twitter.com/82xCLavlrC

— Indivisible Guide (@IndivisibleTeam) November 19, 2019

Maloney asked Vindman why he was so confident that he could testify, to which the National Security Council staffer replied, “Because this is America. This is the country I’ve served and defended, that all my brothers have served.

“Here,” Vindman said, “right Matters.”

The comments drew applause from dozens of the people in attendance at the hearing.

In his opening statements Tuesday, Vindman said he was grateful to his father for bringing the family to America, “where I can live free of fear for mine and my family’s safety.”

“Dad, my sitting here today, in the US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family,” Vindman told the lawmakers. “Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.”