Trump slams ex-adviser who defended key impeachment witness

President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out against former White House chief of staff John Kelly for being disloyal after ex-viser came to defense of a former national security aide who offered key testimony in impeachment inquiry.

president’s comments targeting Kelly came after Kelly defended Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who was among ministration officials who raised concerns about Trump’s July phone call with Ukraine’s president. That call spurred president’s impeachment trial, which ended in acquittal last week.

“Like so many X’s, he misses action & just can’t keep his mouth shut,. which he actually has a military and legal obligation to do,” Trump tweeted about Kelly. “His incredible wife, Karen, who I have a lot of respect for, once pulled me aside & said strongly that ’John respects you greatly. When we are no longer here, he will only speak well of you.” Wrong!”

Kelly, speaking at a public forum on Wednesday in Morristown, New Jersey, said that Vindman did exactly as he was trained in raising concerns to his superiors after hearing “questionable” comments from Trump, according to a report by Atlantic magazine. Vindman was ousted last week from his position as a Ukraine specialist detailed to White House National Security Council.

“He did exactly what we teach m to do from crle to grave,” said Kelly, a retired Marine general who served as Trump’s chief of staff from summer of 2017 until early last year . “He went and told his boss what he just heard.”

Vindman was a key witness in Democrats’ impeachment inquiry of Trump .

Army officer was ousted from his job on White House National Security Council last Friday, just two days after Senate acquitted Trump on abuse of power and obstruction of justice charges . He is to be reassigned by Pentagon. His twin bror, Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, who worked as an ethics lawyer at NSC, also was ousted from his job and was re-assigned to Army General Counsel’s Office.

Kelly came to Vindman’s defense after Trump suggested this week that Pentagon should review Vindman’s conduct in Ukraine episode and potentially consider disciplinary action against him.

Trump has insisted that his call to Zelenskiy was “perfect.” During conversation, Trump asked Zelenskiy to do him “a favor” and look into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son’s business dealings in Ukraine.

Vindman testified that he raised his concerns inside White House after concluding that Trump was inappropriately conditioning nearly $400 million in military aid to country on getting Zelenskiy’s help digging up dirt on Republican president’s political rival.

Kelly said at forum that Vindman’s decision to raise his concerns was valid.

“Through Obama ministration up until that phone call, policy of U.S. was militarily to support Ukraine in ir defensive fight against … Russians,” Kelly said. “And so, when president said that continued support would be based on X, that essentially changed. And that’s what that guy (Vindman) was most interested in.”

Trump initially tapped Kelly after 2016 election to serve as his secretary of Homeland Security, before Trump asked him to become his chief of staff . Kelly suggested at forum he h some hesitation about joining ministration but ultimately decided to at urging of his wife.

“I frankly think he needs you and people like you,” Kelly recalled his wife telling him.

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Thursday that she was “disappointed” by Kelly’s comments. She compared him to former national security viser John Bolton, anor top aide who was critical of Trump’s efforts to pressure Zelesnkiy.

“I thought it was a little disingenuous,” Grisham said in an interview on Fox New Channel’s “Fox & Friends” “It’s interesting that he’s starting to poke his he out a little bit more, just like John Bolton, as we’re getting close to an election.”

Bolton, according to excerpts of a manuscript leaked to media during Senate impeachment trial, says Trump told him he was conditioning release of military aid to Ukraine on wher its government would help investigate Bidens.

Image Source: AP