The wife of retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman is furious with Joe Biden online after the outgoing president failed to include her husband in his list of preventive pardons.
Rachel Vindman said she was “hurt” by the criticism after Biden chose to pardon Dr. Anthony Fauci, all nine members of the January 6 Committee and members of his own family.
“No matter what happens to my family, know this: No pardon has been offered or discussed. “I cannot describe the level of betrayal and pain I feel,” Vindman's wife said.
She published her comments on the social media app Bluesky, rather than on X, which is owned by key Trump ally and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
Her husband was a witness in Trump's impeachment trial after serving as European Affairs director for the US National Security Council from 2018 to 2020.
Ukrainian-born veteran and Trump critic Vindman provided evidence that led to Trump being accused of abuse of power in his first impeachment trial.
The incoming president was first impeached on December 18, 2019, accused of soliciting Russian interference in the 2020 presidential election to further his bid for a second term in the White House.
On February 5, 2020, the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both charges – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – but not before his reputation was tarnished by those who testified against him, including Vindman.
Rachel Vindman, the wife of retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, is furious with Joe Biden online after the outgoing president did not include her husband in his list of preventive pardons. (Image: Rachel and Alexander Vindman at a gala in New York in May 2022)
Ukrainian-born veteran and Trump critic Vindman (pictured) provided evidence that led to Trump being accused of abuse of power in his first impeachment trial
Rachel Vindman published her comments on the social media app Bluesky, rather than on X, which is owned by key Trump ally and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
Trump has not mentioned Vindman as someone he would look for, but the two have a checkered history.
Vindman also filed a lawsuit against Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani and former Trump White House aides, accusing them of smearing him into losing his federal job and conspiring to harm him after the first impeachment hearing .
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the veteran had no evidence showing the defendants conspired “for the specific purpose of intimidating Vindman from testifying or performing his duties.”
Vindman was commissioned as an infantry officer in 1999 and received a Purple Heart medal after sustaining injuries during an IED attack in the 2004 Iraq War.
He retired in 2020 after 21 years in the military, blaming the vindictive behavior of Trump and his officials for his role in the impeachment trial.
Alexander Vindman tweeted the news of his retirement at the time in July 2020
Trump removed Vindman from his White House job just two days after his acquittal by the Senate
Vindman and his wife were vocally pro-Biden in the lead-up to his election, appearing in an ad from The Lincoln Project and VoteVets supporting his campaign.
He has also locked horns with Musk, accusing the Tesla founder of being a Russian puppet during an MSNBC interview in November.
Musk responded to the comment on X.
“Vindman is on the payroll of Ukrainian oligarchs and has committed treason against the United States, for which he will pay the appropriate penalty,” he wrote.
Vindman's wife was also previously criticized for mocking the July 13 assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Pennsylvania.
Posting on X in September, she said: 'No ears were damaged. Carry on with your Sunday afternoon.”
Rachel Vindman followed up by writing “Sorry you're triggering” with three laughing emojis, in response to the barrage of criticism.
However, she later deleted the first post, calling it “lighthearted,” while adding that “it's easy to say the wrong thing” on social media.
In his final act as president, Joe Biden pardoned several members of his family as Donald Trump prepared to take the oath of office
Biden on Monday pardoned several members of his family, including his brother and sister, in his final minutes as president.
The announcement came about 15 minutes before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. The statement was sent as Biden and Trump stood in the Capitol Rotunda waiting for the president-elect to take the oath of office.
His brother James Biden was involved in the House Republicans' impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden, which ultimately went nowhere.
However, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer had asked Trump's Justice Department to investigate and prosecute James for allegedly making false statements to Congress.
Biden also pardoned James' wife, Sara; his sister, Valerie; her husband, John; and his younger brother, Francis Biden.
The pardons were far-reaching and covered all their 'non-violent' actions from 2014.
Biden said his family was subjected to relentless attacks and threats motivated solely by the desire to hurt me – the worst form of partisan politics.”
“Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,” he said.