Ari Melber Says Vindman’s Testimony ‘Devastating’ for White House: ‘He Saw a Bribery Plot’

MSNBC’s Ari Melber said Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s testimony was “devastating” to President Donald Trump in his first reaction to the official’s hearing in the impeachment inquiry.

Melber joined Nicolle Wallace on Tuesday to breakdown Vindman’s remarks, including his disapproving view of Trump’s “improper” attempt to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rivals. After saying Vindman and Jennifer Williams are “firsthand” witnesses to Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Melber said “Vindman struck me as the most devastating we’ve seen in a public hearing to date.”

“You’ll notice there was a real reticence by Republicans to go directly at him, which departs from maybe some of the smearing that had gone on from their media allies…He spoke very directly about why he phoned it in. He saw a bribery plot. He knew that it was political and wrong. He phoned it in through private channels and he went about his work. This is not someone who reads — in any way — as aggrandizing, looking for the spotlight. He said under oath…that he phoned it in because he thought it was wrong, and he went on with his work and his duty through official channels. He did not think that he would be testifying before the cameras or to the American public. And in our experience, I do think the public responds strongly to that because there’s really very little to impugn. This is his story. It’s devastating for the White House.”

Watch above, via MSNBC.