Fox panelists fume as pundit unloads on conservatives for smearing decorated war veteran Alex Vindman

While discussing the testimony of Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman that's set to take place on Capitol Hill today, a Fox & Friends panel got some pushback from one of their co-hosts who described Vindman's account of a corrupt quid pro quo enacted by President Trump's inner circle as "devastating for the President and his defenders."

According to Fox News contributor Jessica Tarlov, despite Republicans' attempts to paint Vindman as adversarial to the United States, his story "is the ultimate immigration story."

"He is a patriot," Tarlov said. "He has served our nation for 20 years, and the fact that the President's supporters feel comfortable going out there and tearing him down and talking about 'hearsay' -- this man has been corroborating what we have heard from the memorandum of [Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky], the President on national television, Mick Mulvaney on national television, Bill Taylor -- also a veteran -- Fiona Hill as well..."

"So if you have so much evidence, why is this continuing behind closed doors?" Fox News commentator Melissa Francis interjected. But according to Tarlov, the 'closed doors' argument is disingenuous.

"This the beginning of the open-air trial, essentially, in the Democratic House which we know will pass," Tarlov said after a back-and-forth with Francis. "Then it will go for trial in the Senate."

Francis replied that regardless of how honorable people may think Vindman is, she needs to have the hearings public "because in Washington, sadly, I don't trust anybody."

"I want to hear with my own ears that we are at a point in our country where when somebody is going to go up and is going to testify to something that's going to try and reverse an election, I need to hear it with my own ears," Francis said.

Watch the full exchange below: