Devin Nunes got smacked down by the witness when he disrespected Lt. Col. Vindman, then he tried to out the whistleblower.
Nunes first referred to Vindman as Mr. Vindman and the witness corrected him, “Ranking member, it’s Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, please.”
Video:
Devin Nunes gets smacked down by Vindman, tries to out the whistleblower, then attempts to smear Vindman all in the one exchange. #Vindmantestimony pic.twitter.com/tIICUS0rRc
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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) November 19, 2019
Devin Nunes gets smacked down by Vindman, tries to out the whistleblower, then attempts to smear Vindman all in the one exchange. #Vindmantestimony pic.twitter.com/HHd5CE4Tca
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) November 19, 2019
Nunes then tried to question Vindman on the identity of the whistleblower and continued his smear of the war hero by telling him that he could “plead the 5th” if he didn’t want to answer.
Vindman’s lawyer stepped in and said that they were following the rules of the committee on the whistleblower, and no pleading of the Fifth was necessary for the question. Adam Schiff then stepped in, packed up the Republican circus, and sent it out of town.
Nunes was trying to discredit a credible witness by creating the perception that if he did not out the whistleblower, he was hiding something or guilty. This is all part of the conspiracy theory impeachment defense that Republicans have embraced. The Tuesday morning hearing is the worst one yet for Trump and his party.
They have no defense, and now they are repeating Russian talking points and smearing war heroes to save Trump.
Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
