Dem lawmaker drops hammer on GOPers 'covering their butts' by rushing to defend Vindman after Trump fired him

Saying "spare me," Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY) trashed the anonymous Republican lawmakers who contacted the New York Times to claim they tried to stop Donald Trump from firing EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman to make it look like they cared.

Speaking with MSNBC host Kendis Gibson, the New York lawmaker expressed disgust with what he called their "cowardice," while reacting to a New York Times report noting the alleged concerns of Republicans over the president's actions.

"I think what you're seeing there is pretty obvious," Maloney stated. "You're seeing vulnerable Republicans, after the fact, try to cover their butts by leaking to the New York Times that they want us all to know they were deeply troubled by this. And even though they took a vote that could have absolutely guaranteed that people like Lt. Col. Vindman would be hurt, would be made to pay the price for their fecklessness, for their cowardice, they want us to know they were troubled by it."

"They're going to continue to support this president, but they want the New York Times to know they secretly know it's wrong," he continued. "Spare me. That's what I mean. I don't need phony off-the-record after-the-fact friends."

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