Alexander Vindman Sends His Dad A Message During Impeachment Inquiry Testimony

Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , the top Ukraine expert for the National Security Council, told his father not to worry and that he would be fine as he delivered his opening remarks before Congress during the impeachment inquiry hearing Tuesday.

Vindman, appearing before the House Intelligence Committee, said his father was 47 years old when he left behind his entire life and the only home he had ever known to start over in the United States so that his three sons could have better, safer lives.

Dad, my sitting here today in the U.S. Capitol talking to our elected professionals ... is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family, Vindman said.

Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth, he added.

Lt. Col. Vindman ends his opening remarks by telling the story of his dad fleeing the Soviet Union for the US: \"Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth\" pic.twitter.com/5eMgI7MaSd

BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) November 19, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"BuzzFeed News","author_url":"https://twitter.com/BuzzFeedNews","cache_age":86400,"description":"Lt. Col. Vindman ends his opening remarks by telling the story of his dad fleeing the Soviet Union for the US: \"Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth\" pic.twitter.com/5eMgI7MaSd BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) November 19, 2019\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":675,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1196802744339877894/img/5nICNrlT9cuGBD8J.jpg","thumbnail_width":1200,"title":"BuzzFeed News on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/BuzzFeedNews/status/1196804764887113731","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5dd4024be4b0d6f02fa58e0b","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/alexander-vindman-dad-impeachment_n_5dd4024be4b0d6f02fa58e0b","entryTagsList":"politics,ukraine,impeachment,united-states-house-permanent-select-committee-on-intelligence,soviet-union,alexander-vindman","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"us-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5dd4024be4b0d6f02fa58e0b","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/politics","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/politics","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/politics"},"relegenceSubjectId":982065,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Politics News","slug":"politics-news","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/politics-news"},{"name":"Ukraine","slug":"ukraine","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/ukraine","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/ukraine","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/ukraine"},"relegenceId":3696312,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"Ukraine","slug":"ukraine","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/ukraine"},{"name":"impeachment","slug":"impeachment","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/impeachment","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/impeachment","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/impeachment"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Impeachment","slug":"impeachment","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/impeachment"},{"name":"United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence","slug":"united-states-house-permanent-select-committee-on-intelligence","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/united-states-house-permanent-select-committee-on-intelligence","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/united-states-house-permanent-select-committee-on-intelligence","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/united-states-house-permanent-select-committee-on-intelligence"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/united-states-house-permanent-select-committee-on-intelligence"},{"name":"soviet union","slug":"soviet-union","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/soviet-union","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/soviet-union","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/soviet-union"},"relegenceId":3692168,"url":"https://action.news/topic/soviet-union"},{"name":"Alexander Vindman","slug":"alexander-vindman","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/alexander-vindman","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/alexander-vindman","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/alexander-vindman"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/alexander-vindman"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Lt. Col. Vindman ends his opening remarks by telling the story of his dad fleeing the Soviet Union for the US: "Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth" pic.twitter.com/5eMgI7MaSd
BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) November 19, 2019

Vindman privately testified last month that he heard in real time President Donald Trump s July 25 phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, the subject of a subsequent whistleblower complaint and focal point of the Houses impeachment inquiry.

He said he twice reported it internally to the NSCs lead counsel John Eisenberg because he felt it was his duty to share his concerns about Trump using U.S. military aid as leverage in his efforts to get Ukraine to commit to investigating political rival Joe Biden .

On Tuesday, Vindman said that he is grateful for his fathers decision to leave the Soviet Union and for the privilege of being an American, where he can live free of fear for mine and my familys safety.

In Russia, my act of expressing my concerns to the chain of command in an official and private channel would have severe personal and professional repercussions and offering public testimony involving the president would surely cost me my life, he said.

Vindman noted that his family is present during the hearing Tuesday, including his little brother. His twin brother Yevgeny is an ethics lawyer for the NSC.

[My fathers] courageous decision inspired a deep sense of gratitude in my brothers and myself and instilled in us a sense of duty and service, Vindman said. All three of us have served or are currently serving in the military. Our collective military service is a special part of our familys story in America.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Jennifer Williams, a top foreign policy adviser to Vice President Mike Pence , testified alongside Vindman on Tuesday. She testified behind closed doors earlier this month that Trumps call with Zelensky struck her as unusual and inappropriate.