Official Who Heard Trump's Ukraine Call to Testify He Reported His Concerns

An Army officer at the National Security Council who twice raised concerns over the Trump administration's push to have Ukraine investigate Democrats and Joe Biden, arrived in military uniform on Capitol Hill to testify Tuesday in the impeachment inquiry.

Alexander Vindman, an lieutenant colonel who served in Iraq and, later, as a diplomat, is prepared to tell House investigators that he listened to President Donald Trump's July 25 call with new Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and reported his concerns to the NSC's lead counsel, according to prepared testimony.

His arrival in military blue, with medals, created a striking image as he entered the Capitol and made his way to the secure briefing room behind closed doors.

"I was concerned by the call," Vindman will say, according to the testimony obtained Monday night by The Associated Press. "I did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the U.S. government's support of Ukraine."

Vindman is the first official who listened in on that call to testify as the impeachment inquiry reaches deeper into the Trump administration and Democrats prepare for the next, public phase of the probe. He's also the first current White House official to appear before the impeachment panels.

The inquiry is looking into Trump's call, in which he asked Zelenskiy for a "favor" — to investigate Democrats — that Democrats say was a quid pro quo that could be an impeachable offense.

Trump took to Twitter Tuesday to denounce the probe as a "sham," adding: "Why are people that I never even heard of testifying about the call. Just READ THE CALL TRANSCRIPT AND THE IMPEACHMENT HOAX IS OVER!"