Former deep-state operative Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman has been promoted, despite playing a major role in the Democrats’ impeachment hoax.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper reportedly confirmed to Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., that Vindman had been promoted, according to The Hill.
Duckworth, one of seven members on the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, had blocked all military confirmations pending Vindman’s promotion.
“Donald Trump’s unprecedented efforts to further politicize our military by retaliating against Lt. Col. Vindman—for doing his patriotic duty of telling the truth under oath—are unconscionable,” Duckworth said in a statement.
“I’m glad the Department of Defense was finally able to set the record straight that Vindman had earned and was set to receive a promotion to Colonel,” she added.
Vindman had signaled that he would be retiring after 21 years of service, citing “bullying, intimidation, and retaliation” from the Trump administration because of his role in Congress’s impeachment inquiry.
Trump had publicly criticized Vindman, but denied reports that he was forcing Vindman to step down.
Trump did, however, make it clear to his advisers that he did not want Vindman to be promoted, according to the New York Times.
Even so, there was no indication found by the Times that Trump was personally involved in Vindman’s case at the time.
But Trump did defend removing Vindman and his twin brother, Yevgeny, from the National Security Council.
“Well, I’m not happy with him,” Trump said. “You think I’m supposed to be happy with him? I’m not. They’ll make that decision. You’ll be hearing. They’ll make a decision.”
Vindman testified against Trump during the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry and claimed that he had been on Trump’s July 25 phone call to Ukraine’s president.
Vindman testified that the president had tried to coerce a foreign country to investigate his political opponent, Joe Biden, and that it was “improper” for him to have done so.
