GOP's Continued Futility in Defending Trump

A few tidbits from this morning's impeachment hearings:

Jennifer Williams provided first-hand testimony that Donald Trump said “unusual and inappropriate” things to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about investigating the Bidens.   Even though Williams is an adviser to Pence, her appearance before the inquiry earned her attacks from Trump. She was a direct witness to Trump’s July 25 phone call to the Ukrainian president, and to a later call placed by Pence.

Vindman later testified that he was in a meeting in which Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland talked about conditioning White House meetings on Ukraine launching the investigation Trump wanted, and he reported it to the National Security Counsel lawyer. He, too, heard Trump’s voice on the call. Vindman “couldn’t believe what I was hearing” and worried about national security implications, so he reported that, too.

Gym Jordan proceeded to misstate Vindman’s testimony without allowing objections to correct his mistakes.  Jordan then engaged in ridiculous attempts to out the whistleblower, attacked Vindman, called Schiff a liar, and finished up with a (weak) defense of Trump’s call.

Gym Jordan also tried to claim that some people raised concerns about Vindman’s judgment.  “Your former boss, Dr. [Fiona] Hill, had concerns about your judgment,” Jordan said. “Your colleagues had concerns about your judgment and your colleagues felt that there were times when you leaked information. Any idea why they have those impressions, Colonel Vindman?”

Vindman calmly pulled out the last performance evaluation that Fiona Hill had given him, dated this past July.  “Alex is a top 1% military officer and the best Army officer I have worked with in my 15 years of government service,” Vindman read from the document. “‘He is brilliant, unflappable, and was exemplary during numerous visits,’ so forth and so on. I think you get the idea.”

Jordan, a bit shaken, quickly moved on to asking Vindman if he ever leaked information, something the veteran denied.

Republican Brad Wenstrup attempted to paint Vindman as someone who “didn’t follow the chain of command” by going to NSC attorney Eisenberg-- even though he had been previously instructed to do so by his boss (Fiona Hill). 

Devin Nunes spent the majority of his allotted time railing against the process, or talking about the Russia investigation, without ever addressing a question to either witness.