Vindman will retire from the military after 'bullying, intimidation, and retaliation' from Trump administration

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman is leaving the U.S. military as a direct consequence of his testimony in President Trump's impeachment investigation.

Vindman's damaging testimony against Trump prompted the president to remove him as the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council earlier this year. But after a "campaign of bullying, intimidation, and retaliation" kept him from progressing within the Army, Vindman has decided to leave the U.S. military altogether, Vindman's lawyer told CNN.

Vindman was on Trump's July 2019 call with Ukraine's president, and testified that he reported Trump's request for an investigation into the Bidens to a superior. Trump and his allies soon tried to discredit the career military official, and later fired Vindman along with, inexplicably, his twin brother.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Even since then, Trump and his allies worked to stymie Vindman's career and block him from promotions, Vindman's lawyer said. Senior Army officials said Vindman wouldn't be allowed to work in his area of expertise, which includes Ukraine, from then on, CNN reports. It all led Vindman to believe his Army career "will forever be limited" by political pushback from Trump's allies. So instead of heading on to his next assignment at the National War College, he'll be leaving the armed forces instead.

Vindman immigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union as a child, and ahead of his impeachment testimony, delivered a touching message to his father: "Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth."