On This Day In 2020
Trump fires loyal government staffers out of spite
The victims
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Alexander Vindman is a much-decorated Iraqi war vet, having earned—among other honors—a Purple Heart and two Defense Meritorious Service Medals. He sat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a Russia specialist. And as an expert on Eurasia affairs, he began serving on the National Defense Council in 2018.
Gordon Sondland served as America’s ambassador to the EU, and was such a big fan of Trump’s that he had personally donated $1 million to Trump’s Inaugural Committee. Vindman and Sondland were two of the five U.S. citizens who represented the U.S. government in Ukraine at the 2019 inauguration of president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Left: Vindman. Middle: Zelensky. 3rd-from right: Sondland
What else do those two have in common? OTDI 2020, Trump fired both of them—simply in retribution for their having testified at Trump’s first impeachment hearings. They were the first of several to be axed in Trump’s furious, totalitarian purge.
As the New York Times noted: “In the two days since his acquittal in the Senate, Mr. Trump has railed about those who stood against him, calling them ‘evil,’ ‘corrupt’ and ‘crooked,’ while his press secretary declared that those who hurt the president ‘should pay for’ it.”
You’ve heard Trump promise “I am your retribution” if he wins in ’24. USA or Banana Republic?
Btw: Yesterday, Thomas Friedman highlighted the importance of electing Vets to serve in our government. Vets with world views like Alexander Vindman's. If you’re interested in learning more about how to make that happen, Vindman is affiliated with VoteVets: The first and largest group of progressive Veterans in America.
Sources/Links for further reading
Photo credit: President.gov.ua
The New York Times has the coverage of Trump's firings
Read more about Vindman's saga in his book "Here, Right Matters," available on Amazon.
Trump fires loyal government staffers out of spite