House

Applause breaks out after Vindman says he’s not worried about testifying because ‘this is America’

by Rachel Frazin - 11/19/19 1:46 PM ET

Applause broke out during Tuesday’s impeachment inquiry hearing when Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman said he didn’t need to worry about testifying because “this is America” and “right matters” here.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) asked Vindman if his dad, whom Vindman had addressed in earlier testimony, was worried that his son was putting himself in opposition to the U.S. president by testifying.

“He deeply worried about it because in his context, there was the ultimate risk,” Vindman said of his father, who migrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union.

Round of applause in the room as Lt. Col. Vindman explains why he’s confident in his decision to come forward, despite the risks.
“This is America. This is the country I’ve served and defended. That all of my brothers have served. Here, right matters.” #impeachmenthearings pic.twitter.com/82xCLavlrC

— Indivisible Guide (@IndivisibleTeam) November 19, 2019

When Maloney asked why Vindman felt like his dad didn’t need to worry, Vindman replied “Because this is America. This is the country I’ve served and defended. … Here, right matters.”

With that, many in the House hearing room broke into applause.

This is the second time applause has been heard for a witness during the impeachment inquiry. Members of the audience also broke into applause at the conclusion of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch’s testimony on Friday.

Tags Alexander Vindman Impeachment Marie Yovanovitch Sean Maloney Ukraine