Lt. Col. Alex Vindman's Testimony Just Reminded Us Of Something That PISSES US THE F*CK OFF

MAD ABOUT A THING. We are not mad at Alex Vindman, though. MAD ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.

More testimony transcripts today! There is the transcript from former White House Russia adviser Fiona Hill, and there is the transcript from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the Purple Heart recipient Donald Trump and Fox News have been trying to paint as a foreign agent spy with dual loyalty. We knew from Vindman's opening statement that his testimony would be powerful, and that's why we can't wait to watch him dismantle Donald Trump in public.

As it is Friday, we are physically unable to read these transcripts in full right now, and as we said about the transcript from Ambassador Bill Taylor, we're going to get to see the live show in the next couple weeks anyway. So, you know, EXCUSES.

But right there at the beginning of the excerpts from Vindman's testimony released by Adam Schiff, we saw a quote that reminded us of something we've been absolutely seething about, something we've been hearing Donald Trump and his Republican minions like Jim Jordan repeat over and over again. Specifically, they've been saying (for instance in this op-ed from Jordan, which he must've written while he was ignoring the former Ohio State referee who told him the rapey sports doc had masturbated in the shower in front of him) that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said IN PUBLIC that there was no pressure put on him during that treason call with Trump ( READ TEH TRANSDDCIPT!111!! ), therefore if Zelenskiy says NO PRESSURE! then that means NO QUID PRO QUO! and NO CRIME! and NO IMPEACH!

And it's true. Zelenskiy did say that. And the fact that these stupid goddamned un-American wastes of space are repeating it like it's true is what's enraging us.

Here's the quote from Vindman that set us off:

Q.All right. So you did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a US citizen. You used the word "demand," it was not proper to demand. Where in the transcript do you believe that the President made a demand to investigate a US citizen?

A.So, Congressman, the power disparity between the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine is vast, and, you know, in the President asking for something, it became -- there was -- in return for a White House meeting, because that's what this was about. This was about getting a White House meeting. It was a demand for him to fulfill his -- fulfill this particular prerequisite in order to get the meeting.

Of course, we know it became about much more than a meeting. In the end, it was also about military aid this small nation -- not wants, not merely "it would be nice to have" -- requires in order to survive war against Russia, the rogue shithole nation that invaded it.

The power disparity between the American president and the Ukrainian president, Vindman says, is vast . This sentiment comes through every time we hear from a career official who works on Ukraine, who knows Ukraine, who gives a shit about Ukraine, like Bill Taylor or Alex Vindman.

"No pressure," said Zelenskiy, the brand new 30-something president of a nation that's at war with Russia because Russia invaded and seized its land and started murdering its citizens.

"No pressure," said Zelenskiy, who knows that the military aid in question -- and the support of the United States in general -- is not merely wanted, but necessary for survival.

"No pressure," said Zelenskiy, who along with his advisers absolutely knew it would be wrong   to go on CNN and make the statement Trump was demanding, announcing investigations into Trump's political rivals, but also knew they were going to have to do it anyway.

"No pressure," said Zelenskiy, because he knew not giving Trump his "deliverable" could put his people in danger.

"No pressure," said Zelenskiy, because he knew not saying "no pressure" could also put his people in danger.

"No pressure."

Fuck right off with repeating that and acting like it's "evidence" of what happened here. Anyone who knows the first fucking goddamned thing about Ukraine over the last several years doesn't need a greasy-yet-expensive Ukrainian translator like Rudy Giuliani's pal Lev Parnas to know that when Zelenskiy says "no pressure," he's proverbially in the middle of Fifth Avenue at high noon, and Donald Trump has just waddled out onto the asphalt. (Obviously carrying a Baby's-First-Gun small enough to hold in his little hands.)

Does Jim Jordan know this about Ukraine? We don't know. He's a really stupid man. Maybe he does know it, and he's just ignoring it like he ignores college wrestlers trying to get the team doc to stop molesting them. ("Allegedly.")

Most Republicans know it. Lindsey Graham knows it. GOP Senator Ron Johnson knows it. 

The traitor coward Donald Trump absolutely knows it. Hell, he's been pulling this shit with Ukraine his entire presidency, seems like, and all in service of his real sugar daddy Vladimir Putin.

Point is, any time a shitmouthed Republican dares to say, "But Zelenskiy said no pressure!" that shitmouthed Republican is hereby invited to go fuck themselves where the sun don't shine in hell.

And that is what we think about that.

Read the rest of Vindman's testimony and the excerpts if you want to. Spoiler, he confirms literally every other account we've heard about Donald Trump's impeachable crimes so far, just like Fiona Hill   does. Oh yeah, and he confirms that Mick Mulvaney is really up to his ass in this. Unsurprising that the House subpoenaed Mulvaney yesterday! (He of course defied the subpoena, because apparently he wants to go down with Trump's crime ship.)

And now that we are good and mad, and so are you, OPEN THREAD!

[ Vindman excerpts / transcript / Hill excerpts / transcript ]

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