‘Extremely disturbing’: Top Dems alarmed over Vindman’s testimony on Trump-Ukraine call – NBC News

Vindman considered Trump’s request that Ukraine investigate his political rivals so damaging to American national security that he reported it to a superior, according to his opening statement obtained by NBC News.

According to his prepared remarks, Vindman, the National Security Council director for European affairs, will tell members of the committees investigating Trump that he was on the July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, making him the first witness to the call to appear before congressional investigators in the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry.

“I was concerned by the call,” Vindman’s opening statement says. “I did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the U.S. government’s support of Ukraine.”

“I realized that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and Burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained,” his statement adds. “This would all undermine U.S. national security. Following the call, I again reported my concerns to NSC’s lead counsel.”

The call is at the center of the impeachment inquiry against Trump launched by House Democrats. Critics say that Trump’s alleged pressure on the Ukrainians amounted to an abuse of power designed to help him in the 2020 presidential election.

Vindman served multiple overseas tours as an infantry officer and received the Purple Heart after being wounded by an improvised explosive device while in Iraq. He joined the National Security Council in July of 2018.

Vindman will also tell Congress that he is not the unnamed whistleblower whose complaint sparked what would become the impeachment inquiry now underway, according to the statement, and that he does not know who the whistleblower is.

In addition, he will say that he twice reported his concerns to the National Security Council’s lead attorney, John Eisenberg, once after a July 10 meeting about comments made by U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, and also after Trump’s phone call with Zelenskiy. His statement says he never had any direct communications with Trump.

Attacks on witness

After details of Vindman’s opening statement emerged Monday night, Trump, as well as Republican allies of the president, attacked the former soldier.

“Supposedly, according to the Corrupt Media, the Ukraine call ‘concerned’ today’s Never Trumper witness,” Trump tweeted. “Was he on the same call that I was? Can’t be possible! Please ask him to read the Transcript of the call. Witch Hunt!”

On Monday night, Fox News host Laura Ingraham and John Yoo, a former official in the George W. Bush Justice Department, discussed on Ingraham’s show whether Vindman, who was born in the former Soviet Union and fled with his family to the U.S. as a child, could have effectively conducted espionage because, according to The New York Times, Ukraine officials sought his advice in dealing with Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani’s efforts regarding Ukraine.

Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., who as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee was present for Vindman’s deposition, defended Vindman in an interview on MSNBC Tuesday, saying he “is someone without impunity.”

“For any of my colleagues to try to smear his reputation — that’s just not fair,” he said.

Some Republicans also defended Vindman.

Rep. Liz. Cheney, R-Wyo., said at a press conference with GOP leadership Tuesday morning that the attacks on Vindman were “shameful.”