(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)Rep. Devin Nunes outsmarted and outplayed Adam Schiff and his witness Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman during the impeachment inquiry this morning. Nunes laid a trap for Vindman which caused Schiff to go nuts, and the outcome was Schiff and Vindman both admitting they colluded with the whistleblower. But what happens next goes to the very core of why this impeachment farce should be immediately stopped for the sake of all Americans. Don’t miss this.
It has long been suspected that Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was the initial “whistleblower.” When we say “whistleblower,” it should be noted that no one involved in this scheme is a real whistleblower. Indeed, after today’s morning session, it is plain as day this entire thing was started by Adam Schiff and this Trump-hating bureaucrat-leaker Alexander Vindman.
As you will see from the bombshell testimony today, Vindman was listening in on the July 25 phone call between President Trump and President Zelensky. Vindman was deeply upset Trump was ignoring his “expert” advice on Ukraine. He is really peeved the president of the United States would dictate his own foreign policy and make his own decisions. Vindamn is a whiner who got his feelings hurt.
This brings us to Rep. Devin Nunes’ series of questions which tripped up Vindman and Schiff.
Vindman admitted providing the transcript to two individuals outside the White House with security clearance. He named one as George Kent — a witness who appeared last week — but he would not name the other:
Ranking Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA): Lt. Col. Vindman, did you discuss the July 25th phone call with anyone outside the White House on July 25th or the 26th — and, if so, with whom?
Vindman: Yes, I did. My core function is to coordinate U.S. government policy, interagency policy. And I spoke to two individuals with regards to providing some sort of readout of the call.
Nunes: Two individuals who were not in the White House?
Vindman: Not in the White House, cleared U.S. government officials, with appropriate need to know.
Nunes: And what agencies were these officials with?
Vindman: Department of State, um, Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent, who is responsible for the portfolio, Eastern Europe, including Ukraine. And a individual from the office of — individual in the intelligence community.
Nunes: What — as you know, the intelligence community has 17 different agencies. What agency was this individual from?
Schiff: If I could interject here — we don’t want to use these proceedings —
Nunes: It’s our — it’s our time, chair.
Schiff: I know, but we need to protect the whistleblower.
[Murmurs]
Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Please stop. I want to make sure that there’s no effort to out the whistleblower through the use of these proceedings. If the witness has a good faith belief that this may reveal the identity of the whistleblower, that is not the purpose that we are here for, and I want to advise the witness accordingly.
Nunes: Mr. Vindman, you testified at your deposition that you did not know the whistleblower.
Vindman: Ranking member, it’s Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, please.
Nunes: Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, you testified in the deposition that you did not know who the whistleblower was, or is.
Vindman: I do not know who the whistleblower is, that is correct.
Nunes: So how is it possible for you to name these people and then out the whistleblower?
Vindman: Per the advice of my counsel, I’ve been advised not to answer specific questions about members of the intelligence community.
Nunes: This is — are you aware that this is the Intelligence Committee that’s conducting an impeachment hearing?
Schiff claimed that the whistleblower had “a statutory right to anonymity,” which he does not. Existing law prevents the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (IGIC) from revealing the name of a whistleblower in most circumstances but does not otherwise protect the whistleblower.
However, the big take away is Schiff claiming last week he had no idea who is the whistleblower. We also know the whistleblower was not listening in to the July 25 phone call, which means it was Vindman who leaked the content of the July 25 phone to the whistleblower.
We also know now without any doubt that Schiff knows who the whistleblower is based on Nunes outsmarting him today. This also looks an awful lot like a real conspiracy to unseat the duly elected president.
Vindman hears the call, and instead of taking his complaints up the chain of command, he goes to this whistleblower and leaks the contents, which is against the law. Then, the whistleblower goes to Schiff’s staff and they all conspire to set Trump up.
It begs the question where was Vindman during this setup?
It’s hard to imagine Vindman had no idea what the whistleblower and Schiff’s staff was doing with the information he gave them, especially since Vindman was so upset Trump wasn’t doing what he “advised” even though he never spoke to the president.
This is such a farce. Devin Nunes outsmarted these traitors today. Anyone with half a brain can see this was a conspiracy between Vindman, the whistleblower, and Schiff drumming up fake charges hoping they could get rid of Trump. This is an utter disgrace. It’s time to stop this clown show for the stake of the American people.
