Retired Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman says his military career may have been cut short due to the treatment he received after his damaging testimony during impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump.
Still, he says he does not regret his decision to testify against the president.
During an interview on CNN on Monday, Vindman was asked if military leaders provided enough support for him in light of his testimony. He said, “The bottom line is no, they haven’t.”
“In certain ways, they probably have misrepresented, the Secretary of Defense, former Secretary of Defense Esper, probably misrepresented the amount of support I was receiving,” he continued.
He added, “At no point did any senior leader, civilian or military, attempt to contact me and indicate that I still was in good standing in the military.”
He went on to say that he “had no contact with anybody that could have indicated my military career would move forward as normal.”
Watch the video below:
Ret. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman says the military hasn't properly supported him following his testimony in Pres. Trump's impeachment trial.
— Erin Burnett OutFront (@OutFrontCNN) December 29, 2020
"No, they haven't… At no point did any senior leader, civilian or military… indicate that I was still in good standing in the military." pic.twitter.com/ghRRC3dNCK
He had served as the top Ukraine expert at the National Security Council (NSC). In 2019, he told lawmakers during the impeachment hearings that Trump’s effort to pressure Ukrainian officials to open an investigation into the President-elect Joe Biden was improper.
In February, he was removed from his position at the NSC but was expected to remain in the military.
However, months later, Vindman announced his retirement as he said, “I look forward to the next chapter of our lives.” In a statement, his attorney said Vindman “was bullied by the President and his proxies” for his testimony in the impeachment hearings.
Despite the turn of events following his testimony, Vindman says he does not regret the decision to testify, “In the end, I have no regrets about how things turned out. Yes, I left the military unforeseen. I had every intention of staying on, going to war college.”
“But I think my role, in certain ways, may have been more important in that I was able to do my part, defend this nation in a very meaningful manner and expose corruption by the chief executive. And I feel in that regard that I’ve served my nation,” he added.
