 REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
- Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was escorted out of the White House on Friday, nearly three months after he testified against President Donald Trump in the impeachment inquiry.
- Vindman was a key witness who voiced his concerns about Trump's contact with Ukraine while also addressing his worries about speaking out against the president.
- In comments to reporters at the time, Defense Secretary Mark Esper vowed that Vindman was protected by guidelines meant to shield whistleblowers from retaliation.
- Trump also fired Gordon Sondland, the US's ambassador to the EU, in what appeared to be a sweeping act of personal vengeance once the impeachment process wrapped up in the Senate.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
President Donald Trump's abrupt firing of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman appears to cross guarantees that Defense Secretary Mark Esper previously voiced, that vowed protections for whistleblowers.
In a Friday night segment, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow pointed to a November 2019 tweet from Marcus Weisgerber, an editor at military and defense outlet Defense One, which contained a transcript of an exchange with Esper, where the secretary said there was "no retaliation" allowed under the law against whistleblowers.See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: A law professor weighs in on how Trump could beat impeachment See Also: SEE ALSO: Alexander Vindman believed he wouldn't be punished for telling the truth in America. Trump proved him wrong.
DON'T MISS: 'He's trying to muzzle everyone': National security veterans were shaken by Trump's decision to 'purge' witnesses who testified against him  |