Top Republican Liz Cheney flames pro-Trump pundits going after witness

House Republican conference chair Rep. Liz Cheney blasted ‘shameful’ questioning of the patriotism of a key impeachment witness who served in Iraq and testified Tuesday after getting undermined by prominent conservatives.

Cheney, a Wyoming Republican and the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, issued her public admonition hours after high-profile conservative commentators sought to discredit new impeachment witness Col. Alexander Vindman before his testimony – with a former top Bush administration comparing him to a spy.   

‘I also want to say a word about something else that’s been going on over the last couple of hours, and last night, which I think is also shameful, and that is questioning the patriotism, questioning the dedication to country, of people like Mr. Vindman – Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, who will be coming today – and others who have testified,’ Cheney said at a House leadership press conference.

‘And it is shameful to question their patriotism,’ Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney said of attacks on witnesses providing information to the Democratic-led impeachment probe

‘I think that we need to show that we are better than that as a nation’, she said, bluntly admonishing critics who have joined in the pushback. 

‘Their patriotism, their love of country, we’re talking about decorated veterans who have served this nation, who have put their lives on the line. And it is shameful to question their patriotism, their love of this nation. And we should not be involved in that process. We need to make sure that we are abiding by, upholding, the Constitution. Just because the Democrats refuse to do that does not mean that we ought to let ourselves be dragged down to the level at which they are operating,. And we won’t do that as Republicans.” 

 She spoke after former top Bush Administration official John Yoo even compared some of Vindman’s activities on the National Security Council to ‘espionage.’ 

Former Bush Administration official John Yoo participated in a panel segment that undermined Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman before his testimony before congressional committees Tuesday

Former Bush Administration official John Yoo participated in a panel segment that undermined Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman before his testimony before congressional committees Tuesday

Host Laura Ingraham asked Yoo about a detail from a New York Times report that said Vindman advised Ukrainian officials on how to handle Rudy Giuliani

Host Laura Ingraham asked Yoo about a detail from a New York Times report that said Vindman advised Ukrainian officials on how to handle Rudy Giuliani

National Security Council Director for European Affairs Alexander Vindman(C) arrives for a closed-door deposition at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on October 29, 2019

National Security Council Director for European Affairs Alexander Vindman(C) arrives for a closed-door deposition at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on October 29, 2019

President Trump tweeted he never even knew Vindman. He also called him a 'Never Trumper,' a tag he also used against diplomat Bill Taylor. Trump has compared never Trumpers to 'human scum'

President Trump tweeted he never even knew Vindman. He also called him a ‘Never Trumper,’ a tag he also used against diplomat Bill Taylor. Trump has compared never Trumpers to ‘human scum’

Former Wisconsin GOP Rep. Sean Duffy joined in the attack, saying on CNN Tuesday about Vindman: ‘It seems very clear that he is incredibly concerned about Ukrainian defense. I don’t know that he’s concerned about American policy … we all have an affinity to our homeland where we came from … he has an affinity for the Ukraine.’  

‘We all have an affinity to our homeland where we came from… He’s entitled to his opinion. He has an affinity I think for the Ukraine, he speaks Ukrainian, he came to the country, and he wants to make sure they’re safe and free, I understand that,’ said Duffy. He called Trump the one who sets the policy and ‘looks out for America first.’

Host John Berman whether he was saying Vindman, ‘a decorated war veteran, isn’t looking out for America first, yes or no?’ 

Duffy responded: ‘I don’t know what he …’ Duffy responded. 

Duffy announced his resignation from Congress in August and now serves as a CNN commentator. 

The extraordinary attacks – and the rebuke from an influential House GOP leader – came just hours before Col. Alexander Vindman appeared at the Capitol in his dress uniform to deliver a statement about how he raised alarms following President Trump’s July 25 call with the president of Ukraine. 

But Vindman’s service as a policy expert on the National Security Council and military achievements (he was awarded a purple heart and served in combat in Iraq) did not shield him from attacks. 

Fox News host Laura Ingraham on her program noted flagged a passage ‘buried’ in a New York Times story on his testimony. The report stated: ‘Because he emigrated from Ukraine along with his family when he was a child and is fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, Ukrainian officials sought advice from him about how to deal with Mr. Giuliani, though they typically communicated in English.’

The passage was referring to Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who various witness have testified carried out Ukraine policy on a separate track while he pursued efforts to get the Ukrainians to investigate the Bidens. 

Ingraham noted Vindman’s military record, saying: ‘He’s a decorated colonel, by the way, in the Iraq War,’ but then cast the facts in a more unflattering light. 

‘Now wait a second, John,’ she said, chuckling. ‘Here we have a U.S. national security official, who is advising Ukraine while working inside the White House apparently against the president’s interest and usually, they spoke in English. Isn’t that kind of an interesting angle on this story?’

That prompted a response from Yoo, who authorized the infamous torture memos on ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ following the Sept. 11th attacks. 

‘I find that astounding. Some people might call that espionage,’ Yoo responded. 

 Yoo said Vindman’s testimony ‘doesn’t actually seek to add any new facts to what we know.’

He said: ‘I don’t see how this breaking news adds more facts to what we know about whether this isn’t an impeachable offense or not.” 

‘Whether you 

‘I think that is something the American people should decide rather than just the House,’ he said. 

Then co-panelist lawyer Alan Dershowitz called for the White House to add constitutional scholars ‘like John who can make it clear that there’s a difference between sin, which is a reason for voting against somebody, crime, which might be a reason for prosecuting somebody, and high crime, which is an impeachable offense.’ 

Trump vented that a transcript of the call makes it clear he did nothing wrong, and that Vindman is an unimportant figure who never crossed paths with him.

‘Why are people that I never even heard of testifying about the call. Just READ THE CALL TRANSCRIPT AND THE IMPEACHMENT HOAX IS OVER! Ukrain [sic] said NO PRESSURE,’ Trump tweeted.

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk