Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), as well as a number of users on Twitter, ripped the New York Times for spreading fake news regarding the actions of the Democrats’ star impeachment witness Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.
“Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman became so concerned during a July 25 phone call in which President Trump asked Ukraine’s president for help with political investigations that he reported his alarm to a superior,” the New York Times tweeted on Tuesday. “Here’s what to know”:
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman became so concerned during a July 25 phone call in which President Trump asked Ukraine’s president for help with political investigations that he reported his alarm to a superior. Here’s what to know. https://t.co/4XPqEXKZHX
— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) November 19, 2019
However, the Times’ summary is grossly inaccurate, as Vindman “never raised his concerns with his immediate supervisor,” as Breitbart News reported:
Vindman never raised his concerns with his immediate supervisor. He also contradicted the commander-in-chief: while Trump had made a request of the Ukrainian president, Vindman admitted — proudly, it seems — that he had advised the Ukrainians to ignore it as an unwelcome intrusion into U.S. politics. Vindman also admitted he did no research of his own on Burisma to find out what Trump and Zelensky might have been talking about, and whether Trump’s concerns might have had merit (indeed, the issue had been flagged by concerned officials even during the Obama administration).
Zeldin responded to the Times’ tweet, noting its lack of accuracy.
“This Tweet from @nytpolitics is just not accurate,” he wrote. “Actually LTC Vindman didn’t state his concerns about the 7/25 call to his superior Tim Morrison or anyone up the Vindman/Morrison Chain of Command.”
“Although it does appear one of the people Vindman spoke to was the whistleblower,” he added:
This Tweet from @nytpolitics is just not accurate. Actually LTC Vindman didn’t state his concerns about the 7/25 call to his superior Tim Morrison or anyone up the Vindman/Morrison Chain of Command. Although it does appear one of the people Vindman spoke to was the whistleblower. https://t.co/jvXDLHhypq
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) November 19, 2019
Many Twitter users also ripped the Times over its inaccurate assessment.
“Not according to his testimony, will you correct??” one user asked. “JK I know you won’t.”
“His story keeps changing. An honorable news outlet would notice that,” another added.
“He didn’t. His superior testified that Vindman did not follow chain of command and did not notify him,” one noted.
“That’s not even mildly true. His own superior testified that was false. At least try to follow along,” another remarked.
