Duty. Well get to the gop attempts at character assassination that will define the president and his party long after todays hearing. But we start with the facts that are sending the president into a tailspin today. As one more witness, and this time, one who listened in on the fateful call between donald trump and president zelensky, offers devastating testimony confirming the Pressure Campaign against the ukrainians, the case against the president gains an unimpeachable witness and one with firsthand knowledge of the phone call that put the president s impeachment in motion. Vinland w vind m vindman who was awarded a purple heart for his service in iraq testified he reported to his superiors on two occasions his concerns about the Pressure Campaign against the ukrainians who were being asked to deliver political favors to the president. In his Opening Statement, vindman describes his alarm over what he heard on the president s call. Saying this, i was concerned by the call. 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. Governments support of ukraine. I realized that if ukraine pursued an investigation into the bidens and burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained. This would all undermine u. S. National security. Following the call i, again, reported my concerns to nscs lead counsel. Vindman also delivering an implicit rebuke of the misconduct he witnessed saying this, i am a patriot, and it is my sacred duty and honor to advance and defend our kcountry irrespective of party or politics. For over 20 years as an active duty United States military officer and diplomat, i have served this country in a nonpartisan manner and have done so with the utmost respect and professionalism for both republicans and democrats. Reports from capitol hill today also strongly suggest that republicans were determined to learn more about the whistleblowers identity from vindman. Congresswoman Debbie Wassermanschultz telling nbc news what she saw behind closed doors. Saying this, what the republicans are trying to do very clearly in their questioning is try to front door back door vindman who revealing who the whistleblower is. Thats where we start today with our favorite reporters and friends. With us on capitol hill, msnbcs garrett haake. At the new york times, White House Correspondent annie karni. Former republican congressman, now an independent, david jolly is back. With us at the table, former federal prosecutor for the southern and eastern districts of new york, berit berger, plus our friend Donny Deutsch is back. Garrett, let me start with you. Take me inside the room with Alexander Vindman. Reporter vindmans testimony this morning or all day today really has been very credible. Every republican and democratic lawmaker who came out talked about someone who was a very serious professional, dedicated his life to this country, came once again with notes and specific details about his concerns about the president s behavior and not just on that phone call. Remember, vindman is important in part because hes the first witness who was actually listening to that phone call to come testify and while he raised concerns about what he heard on that phone call, he also raised concerns weeks earlier in another meeting in which he heard the same language being used by gordon sondland. The president s ambassador to the eu about linking investigations of the bidens to military aid. So vindman was on the record not once, but twice, with his concerns and he goes a little bit further. Hes very important to democrats in particular because he makes an explicit argument that what the president did weakens Americas National security. Democrats have hung their entire impeachment strategy on making this about something bigger than another president ial nono. They have said that the president s actions hurt National Security. Vindman says the same thing. That by connecting our defense of ukraine on the front line against russia to a political prerogatives of the president of the United States, the president put National Security at risk. And that is what makes him important and that is part of what has made him something of a contentious witness for both parties today. Garrett, im struck by the images, and when you look at how quickly and how dramatically Public Opinion has swung, 55 of americans in the latest quinnipiac poll now support Donald Trumps impeachment. And removal from office. Numbers that never appeared nearly that high after the Mueller Report. And you look at this witness and if you just slow down and just take me through the drama of seeing Alexander Vindman in full uniform appear on capitol hill as the first witness in the impeachment investigation who was on the line listening to the call that donald trump still describes as perfect, but that put the entire impeachment process in motion. Reporter well, you can take it back further than that. Take it back to last night when his Opening Statement started to lo leak out. You had some rightwing defenders of the president attacking his credibility before he even shows up, then in walks vindman in his full dress uniform as a Lieutenant Colonel in the u. S. Army, somebody who had been wounded in iraq, a purple heart recipient, who is also the first sitting white house staffer, someone who could go back to his desk tonight and find a box sitting on it if the president wants to go that far, could be fired for showing up here. But instead, puts, you know, the bird on his shoulder, in his full dress uniform and comes down here and testifies for, you know, a session that is still ongoing right now. Thats the framing that democrats have always wanted for this impeachment inquiry. This is about country, not party. Its about sacred duty. And you heard some of that same language in vindmans Opening Statement that hes a patriot, hes an immigrant to this country and does see all of this as his duty to defend the nation. He sees that as what hes doing in that room today. Annie karni, if the white house had a nightmare scenario for the president s impeachment investigation, this had to be it. A full a witness whos an iraqi war veteran whos not a partisan, who could never under any scenario be described as part of a deep state. Heading to capitol hill and describing picking up the phone or walking upstairs to the White House Counsels Office , not once, but twice, voicing his concerns internally trying to raise the alarms about what he saw as a rogue foreign policy. Whats the white house have to say for itself today other than smearing this man . I mean, not much. Its quiet, like a lot of people have been very low key. The people Jared Kushner who has taken a lead role is in riyadh at a conference. Mick mulvaney has been keeping a low profile since his press briefing. Rudy giuliani has been m. I. A. So the people we usually hear from driving a message are are keeping a low profile right now, but he this is exactly the profile of a man who is hard to argue with and the Smear Campaigns, to me, seemed lack they didnt stick. You see this guy walking in in his uniform, hes an immigrant who came to this country, believes in this country and served for this country who feels its his civic duty to his adopted homeland to go and testify against the president of the United States. This is probably not where he saw his career leading him to this moment. Also, another thing that came out here, at least in the Opening Statement, is that his testimony now really brings into question the testimony of sondland who was a trump appoint appointee, a former campaign donor, who this is the third witness to come forward and sort of contradict what sondland in his testimony told congress. So its opened up not just questions about Donald Trumps conduct but questions about whether other people involved in this investigation have possibly perjured themselves in the process. Annie, thats exactly where i wanted to go with you, thank you for leading me there. I think i can put that up. Heres what vindman testified to. Heres where theres daylight, i think is putting it generously at this point, a flatout contradicti contradiction. Yeah. Some democrats who have heard both of these testimonies. Heres what vindman tested to, i stated to ambassador sondland his requests were inappropriate, requests to investigate biden and his son had nothing to do with National Security and such investigations were not something the nsc was going to get involved in or push. That account from vindman has been corroborated fiona hill and bill taylors testimony. Heres part of sondland being testified under the lights today. Sondland testified i recall no discussions with any state department of white house official about former Vice President biden or his son. Nor do i recall taking part in any effort to encourage an investigation into the bidens. So there have been sort of rumblings about sondland having exposure on perjury since last week, but i think this week it comes into focus as you see those one of those statements must not be true. One of those statements must not be true and its three against one now and, again, its like you look at the backgrounds of the people and the characters here and vindman is a very person whos not political, whos a military background, who seems to be doing this out of out of a sense of duty, not out of a sense of protecting anyone involved. Sondland comes at this story as a trump appointee, as a political appointee, as someone who supported the president s campaign. So we see different motivations here at play, potentially. Annie, i want to get you on the record about another sort of character in the impeachment drama we havent talked about much, but you and your colleagues have reported on him a good deal. Hes the person in the White House Counsels Office sort of detailed or assigned to dealing with matters of National Security. This is from some reporting from sort of the beginning of this scandal about the cia also reaching out to this lawyer who had the two alarms raised from Alexander Vindman. You guys reported this. The cias general counsel Courtney Simmons elwood called john a. Eisenberg, a deputy counsel and counterpart at the National Security counsel according to three people familiar with the matter. He was already aware of vague concerns about the call. Ms. Elwood, mr. Eisenberg and their deputies spoke multimillimultiple times the following week. They decided the accusations had a reasonable basis. So mr. Eisenberg now is in receipt of a fire alarm pulled at the cia by the cia general counsel when she first became aware of this whistleblowers consternations. Its my understanding that he wasnt able to file his complaint at the cia, had to go to the dni. He also was aware of at least one call, maybe two, from Alexander Vindman. What are folks close to mr. Eisenberg saying about his knowledge and what did he doid s put this transcript where it wa as accessible as it should have been, knowing this transcript was a problematic document for the president. Like a test, another example of how donald trump has been an amazing civics lesson for learning what what do you do when you have a complaint and you need to report it to your superior, how far does it go . This is another reason why, you know, what are the different options for someone who is struck inside, internally, by behavior they believe is wrong . The whistleblower took one approach, reporting it to the White House Counsels Office is another approach. You know, talking to journalists like the or writing anonymous oppeds is another approach. People have taken different approaches when they are concerned with behavior that they witness inside of this administration. Its also a question of more and more pressure of we need to hear from john bolton who who was kind of where the buck stops and was privy to a lot of these conversations, direct contact with the president on these matters, and thats still a big question. Will will john bolton testify or not . You know, david jolly, there are these two hot spinning plates today that seem to be a devastating witness for the president , sure. Someone as annie karni is i alluding to, nothing in his dna that would incentivize telling a lie, nothing in his dna that would motivate him to make waves. Military officials have reverence for the chain of command. So that he raised concerns at all is different from a civilian raising concerns and simply complaining to a chief of staff. Can you just expand on some of the substantive testimony that he gave today as well as the symbolic impact of his presence up on capitol hill as an impeachment witness . The symbolic impact is you have somebody who is honoring his duty to country ahead of any political duty which is different than most of the characters we have seen thus far. Sondland, even bill taylor, and others. Nose who m those who may be career but not active duty. Taylor, formerly a west point person who did serve. What you had today in Lieutenant Colonel vindman is somebody essentially going around the chain of command, he ultimately reports to the commander in chief. Today he decided he was willing to speak to the United States congress, even if it would shine a dark light on the commander in chief. His role in the sequence of the impeachment process and making. Its elemental. Donald trump confessed to essentially an impeachable act. Donald trump confessed to asking ukraine to investigate biden. Mick mulvaney corroborated it when he said we do it all the time, get over it. Bill taylor last week confirmed it in his testimony and colonel vindman explained it today. The statement that vindman left, garrett referred to this earlier, he said my concern is it would undermine the National Security of the United States. That is the frame that the colonel has provided around all of the confessions and corroborations and confirmation and it is why i have said this before, i believe it with certainty, donald trump will become the third president impeached by the house of representatives, the fourth if you include nixon, and the longer this goes on, the likelihood is still small, i think the likelihood grows that he could be facing expulsion through a conviction in the United States senate. You agree about the strength of the case . I do. It seems like the democrats are really building their case slowly but witness by witness, i mean, one of the things you said in the lead was here they have this unassailable witness, coming from my perspective as a former prosecutor, we didnt get witnesses like this. You had to build your case with people that oftentimes had really checkered criminal pasts. To see somebody like this come in with their, you know, uniform on, reciting their history of service to this country, it is a strong basis to build a case. And what do you think about, you know, we have a list of all the witnesses so far. Kurt volker, marie yovanovitch, fiona hill, gordon sondland, bill taylor, Lieutenant ColonelAlexander Vindman. These people with so much more to lose than gain. It would appear before this week, largely anonymous diplomats and career public servants, if you look at how Public Opinion has swung in a way that it never swung during the Mueller Probe, it has to do with the fact that none of these people are political figures. They are all people who spent their lives and their careers serving the country. Democrats and republicans. Absolutely. And from my perspective, thats why it is so frustrating to see the vitreal hat cothat comes ou before weve seen these peoples testimony. Before its actually been made completely public. Really trying to undercut them. Saying, you know, this is a never trumper making these statements. Is that witness tampering exactly. Really, to me, strikes me as sort of a pattern of witness tampering here. Not only do these people have to overcome the incredible administrative hurdles just to get their story out there, just to be heard, but then they have to do this all in the face of knowing theyre going to be personally attacked by the president of the United States. I mean, if this isnt witness tampering or a way of discouraging other people to come forward, i dont know what it is. So, donny, tie this all together. I feel like youre always the voice of caution. When it seems its clear, your feeling is it never is. That theres a big swath of the country that accepts the lunacy they hear from the right. Its interesting, thats exactly where i was going to go. I want to talk about a story because today the story got very clear. If youre selling something, at the end of the day, this impeachment has to be sold to the american voting republic. Its very simple. You tell a simple story that has relevance to the end user. The end user is the voter. Weve heard a lot about ukraine. Weve heard about, you know, national aid to ukraine. Weve heard about, you know, the bidens. And the challenge is, well, how does that come back to the Kitchen Table . Basically vindman set it up today when he s