‘We are not a banana republic’: National security adviser defends Vindman dismissals

Nationwide safety adviser Robert O’Brien on Tuesday defended the dismissal of Lt. Cols. Alexander and Yevgeny Vindman from the Nationwide Security Council, suggesting that the officials have been making an attempt to undermine the president.

“We’re not a country where a bunch of lieutenant colonels can get together and determine what the policy is of the United States,” O’Brien stated throughout an occasion at the Atlantic Council assume tank. “We aren't a banana republic.”

O’Brien additionally insisted that the dual brothers — considered one of whom, Alexander, was an important witness towards President Donald Trump in the investigation that led to his impeachment on a cost of abuse of power — have been “completely” not retaliated towards.

However Trump tweeted on Saturday that Alexander Vindman was “OUT” as a result of he was “insubordinate” and had reported the contents of Trump’s July telephone call with the Ukrainian president “incorrectly.” It also still isn’t clear why Yevgeny Vindman, an NSC ethics lawyer who was not involved within the impeachment course of in any respect, was fired.

Trump says military will likely look at disciplinary action against Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman

Two individuals close to the Vindmans informed POLITICO on Monday that whereas Alexander Vindman was getting ready to be fired after Trump’s acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, and even began taking his belongings house from the office in preparation, Yevgeny Vindman’s firing was “an entire shock” and he had nonetheless acquired “no rationalization by any means” from the White Home.

One in every of O’Brien’s prime priorities since taking office in September has been a “rightsizing”, or downsizing, of the NSC employees. He prompt on Tuesday that more cuts have been to return: The policy employees “might be right down to” around 115-120 individuals “by the end of this week,” he stated in his ready remarks.

But the cuts will in all probability be seen with larger suspicion after the Vindmans’ firing — their removing came hours after the president advised reporters he was “not completely satisfied” with them, and Trump stated on Tuesday that the army “will definitely, I think about, take a look” at taking disciplinary motion towards Alexander Vindman. Each brothers have now gone back to the Military.

O’Brien disputed the notion that the Vindmans have been fired, but stated that because of the NSC’s small price range, “as we scale back the number of detailees, the share of political appointees will improve slightly.”

“None of the detailees that depart NSC are fired,” O’Brien stated at the Atlantic Council event. “It’s a privilege to work on the White Home, it’s not a proper. … The Vindmans had served there for over a yr. Their providers have been not wanted.”

Alexander Vindman’s element was not set to finish till July. However O’Brien insisted that “the president has to believe in his NSC employees to make sure that they’re going to execute the agenda he was elected to deliver.”

Src: ‘We are not a banana republic’: National security adviser defends Vindman dismissals
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