Vindman’s Ex-Supervisor Unloads on Lindsey Graham: ‘Always Had a Lot of Respect for You… Where Are You Now, Sir?’

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman’s former supervisor Brig. Gen. Peter Zwack defended the former National Security Council Director for European Affairs on CNN Monday, after Vindman was escorted by security from the White House last week.

On Vindman, who testified before Congress on the Trump-Ukraine scandal in October, Zwack said, “I think that he’s hurt and insulted, he’s uncertain about his future, and he wears — not wore — the uniform proudly.”

“I think that seniors at a very, very high level should not dump that way publicly by statement or the God gun of a tweet in demeaning his personality,” he continued, seemingly taking a shot at President Donald Trump. “And the other thing that offends me greatly is so many other people have piled in that don’t even know him.”

After being asked if Vindman was experiencing “witness retaliation,” Zwack replied, “I think that this was punitive. It didn’t need to be done that way.”

“When you serve on the NSC, you do serve at the behest of the president… but there’s also the greater Constitution, and I think this was punitive. It didn’t have to be. He could have been allowed to say at least goodbye to his peers,” Zwack argued. “He was not allowed… It was just insulting and offending and wrong.”

Zwack also responded to Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) comments defending retaliation against Vindman.

“I’m a proud retired member of the intelligence community… I guess that that makes me a card-carrying member of the deep state,” he mocked. “This is ridiculous, okay? Senator Graham, I’ve always had a lot of respect for you. I met you when you was in Afghanistan in 2008, when you arrived with Senator McCain and Joe Lieberman as part of the three amigos. We thought you guys were rock stars. Where are you now, sir?”

Watch above via CNN.