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Marsha Blackburn defends 'Vindictive Vindman' tweet on Fox News, says he's 'going after' Trump
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn went on Fox News to defend herself against a trending Twitter hashtag that implies she is aligned with Russia.
#MoscowMarsha began trending on Friday after Blackburn, R-Tennessee,
posted a tweet attacking Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a central figure in the ongoing impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.
Vindman, a decorated Army official who is the director for European affairs for the U.S. National Security Council, has testified about his concerns over a diplomatic phone call in which Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to publicly investigate the family of former Vice President Joe Biden.
Some Republicans have suggested Vindman knows the identity of an anonymous whistleblower who first reported the Ukraine call that launched the impeachment inquiry.
Blackburn’s tweet went further: “Vindictive Vindman is the ‘whistleblower’s’ handler.”
During
an interview with Fox News’ Shannon Bream on Friday night, Blackburn said she stood by the tweet and insisted it was justified because Vindman “defied his chain of command” and was “going after” the president.
"Vindman had a problem with the president," Blackburn said. "The president wasn’t taking his advice. He didn’t like that. And he wanted the president to take his advice. And so what did he do? He defied that chain of command. He talked to somebody in the intel community. He then would not answer that question when he was asked if he had given this information to someone who was the whistleblower. And of course this is something that should cause everybody concern."
"Look, you honor someone for their service to the country, and certainly we honor the service that he gave to the country,” Blackburn continued. “But, Shannon, I’ve got to tell you, when you are defying your chain of command, when your direct supervisor says you have a problem with judgment and a problem with defying that chain of command and you are going after, not just a colleague, you are going after the commander in chief, and it is over a policy disagreement. And then, look at where we find ourselves.”
The Ukraine phone call is a central event in an impeachment investigation with the potential to remove Trump from office. Vindman and other witnesses have testified they were alarmed by Trump withholding financial aid while pressuring a foreign leader to investigate a political rival.
Blackburn’s defense of her tweet appears to draw arguments from several key conversations that have arisen during the impeachment proceedings.
Republicans have seized on criticism of Vindman from his former immediate supervisor, Tim Morrison, senior director for Russian affairs at the National Security Council. Morrison testified he sometimes conflicted with Vindman and questioned his judgment.
Morrison also testified that Vindman reported his concerns about the Ukraine call directly to a White House lawyer
rather than through the chain of command, according to The Washington Post.
Separately, Vindman declined to answer some questions from Republicans, at the advice of his lawyer, out of fear that answers could potentially help identify the whistleblower. However, Vindman also testified that he does not know the identity of the whistleblower.
Vindman has rebuffed attempts to paint him as a partisan critic of the president.
During one key exchange last week, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Connecticut, asked Vindman if he considers himself a “Never Trumper.”
“I’d call myself a never partisan,” Vindman said.
Blackburn’s office has not responded to request for comment from The Tennessean.