POLITICS
Impeachment Hearing: Witnesses Testify on Concerns About Trump-Zelensky Call
Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams told investigators they were concerned by the political nature of the president’s request
By Rebecca Ballhaus, Brody Mullins and Gordon Lubold
Updated Nov. 19, 2019 9:19 am ET
WASHINGTON—Two national-security officials began testifying publicly on Tuesday about their alarm at a July 25 call in which President Trump pressed his Ukrainian counterpart to undertake investigations that could benefit him politically.
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Mr. Trump has publicly criticized four witnesses in the impeachment inquiry—all of whom are still employed by his administration—among them Col. Vindman and Ms. Williams.
On Friday, he attacked Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine, on Twitter while
she was testifying. Some Democrats called that witness intimidation; the White House denied that charge.
After
Col. Vindman’s closed-door testimony last month, Mr. Trump called him a “Never Trumper” on Twitter and when asked what evidence he had, said, “We’ll be showing that to you real soon. OK?” Several
Republicans have suggested in media interviews that Col. Vindman has divided loyalties because he was born in Ukraine. Col. Vindman, an Iraq war veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart, migrated to the U.S. with his family when he was young.
“Ms. Williams, we all saw the President’s tweet about you on Sunday afternoon and the insults he hurled at Ambassador Yovanovich last Friday. You are here today, and the American people are grateful,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in his opening remarks. “Col. Vindman, we have seen far more scurrilous attacks on your character, and watched as certain personalities on Fox have questioned your loyalty. I note that you have shed blood for America, and we owe you an immense debt of gratitude.”
The U.S. Army is prepared to move Col. Vindman and his family onto a military base in the area to ensure their security if it is determined that they are in physical danger, according to U.S. officials. ... Army security officials in recent weeks conducted a security assessment at Col. Vindman’s request, reviewing both his and his family’s physical security and their online security, according to U.S. officials. ... Army security officials have also been monitoring Col. Vindman and his family around the clock to make sure there aren’t any imminent threats, officials said. ... “The Army will make sure he’s safe, and the Army is actively supporting any safety needs as deemed necessary,” an official said. “It’s hard that he has been catapulted into the public eye. He served his country honorably for 20 years, and you can imagine this is a tough situation for him and his family.”
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Write to Rebecca Ballhaus at Rebecca.Ballhaus@wsj.com, Brody Mullins at brody.mullins@wsj.com and Gordon Lubold at Gordon.Lubold@wsj.com
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