WASHINGTON - The White House is weighing a plan to dismiss Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman from the National Security Council (NSC) after he testified in President Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry, preparing to position the move as part of a broader effort to shrink the foreign policy bureaucracy, two people familiar with the matter said.
Any moves would come after the Senate on Wednesday acquitted Trump on a near party-line vote at the conclusion of the two-week impeachment trial. The White House intends to portray any housecleaning as part of a downsizing of the NSC staff, not retaliation, according to the people.
Yet some of the officials being targeted for removal from the NSC would be reassigned because they are perceived as being disloyal to the president, three people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity owing to the sensitivity of personnel moves.
Senior officials were informed Thursday that some staff members would be leaving the White House, the people added.
The departure of Vindman, a decorated Army veteran, who raised the alarm over the president's July 25 telephone call with Ukraine's leader, could trigger objections from Democrats and possibly some Republicans. Those concerns could mount if the Trump administration acts against additional government officials.
The plan to remove Vindman suggests that the White House is feeling emboldened to retaliate against those Trump blames for making him the third U.S. president to be impeached by the House.
Vindman has not been told of any change in his status, according to a person close to his legal team, and plans to show up for work until told otherwise. His twin brother, Yevgeny Vindman, also remains at the NSC and is not aware of any change in his status, that person added.
Trump demands loyalty from his top aides and has repeatedly dismissed officials after they disagreed with him or made critical comments behind his back. The latest actions go further by taking aim at lower-level officials in nonpartisan positions.
