Republicans are admitting privately that Lt Col Vindman’s testimony was ‘damaging’: report

Testimony by Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was "damaging" for President Donald Trump, Republicans are privately admitting, The Washington Post reported Tuesday evening.

The story was headlined, "Firsthand account of Trump’s Ukraine call puts GOP in bind, emboldens Democrats."

"A top National Security Council official on Tuesday delivered a firsthand account of President Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, putting congressional Republicans in a bind and emboldening Democrats as they moved toward their first impeachment vote Thursday," The Post reported.

"Trump and his allies on TV lashed out at Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who said his concerns about what he heard in Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drove him to notify his superiors. Trump dismissed Vindman as a 'Never Trumper,' while some of his allies questioned the patriotism of the Army combat veteran because his family emigrated from the Soviet Union when he was 3," the newspaper reported.

While some allies are attacking Vindman, Republicans are privately admitting the testimony harmed Trump in the impeachment inquiry.

"Privately, several Republicans found Vindman’s testimony to be damaging and lamented that once again they were forced to defend the president," the paper noted.

It has been a difficult week for Republicans.

"The GOP reaction to Vindman comes as the party faces frontal attacks on two of its major talking points in Trump’s defense. Vindman’s account of the phone call deprives Republicans of the complaint that the witnesses called by Democrats have relied on hearsay when discussing the president’s interactions with Zelensky. And as Democrats moved to vote on a resolution to hold open hearings on impeachment, Republicans faced the prospect of losing their complaint that the inquiry is being conducted in secret," The Post noted.

Read the full report.