Things got a little testy at Tuesday morning’s impeachment hearing when House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff was accused of lying about knowing the identity of the whistleblower.
The exchange came during testimony by Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, Democrat witness and top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council.
Following interruption by Vindman’s attorney during testimony, Schiff declared that “this committee will not be used to out the whistleblower.”
Jordan responded by saying his line of questioning was not designed to out the whistleblower, an individual whom Schiff has denied knowing the identity of.
“You have said you don’t know who the whistleblower is – even though no one believes you,” Jordan shot back at the California Democrat.
RELATED: Devin Nunes Opening Statement Embarrasses Dems: ‘Last People On Earth With Credibility’
?JIM JORDAN NUKES SCHIFF ON LIVE TV ?
Jordan was asking about who was leaking national security information.
Schiff stops him to “protect the whistleblower”
Jordan to Schiff:
“You have said you don’t know who the whistleblower is – even though no one believes you.”
SAVAGE pic.twitter.com/sWgLZnnNKt
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) November 19, 2019
Why Did Jordan Jab Schiff?
Aside from the fact that it’s always satisfying to see Republicans taking shots at Schiff whose role as Chairman should be relinquished based on his partisan hackery, the exchange highlights a very important point.
Schiff is, in fact, lying about not knowing the whistleblower.
The Democrat insisted this was the case at a hearing last week saying, “I do not know the identity of the whistleblower and I’m determined to make sure that identity is protected.”
Jordan is right in saying nobody believes Schiff. Nobody believed him prior to today’s hearing because his staff coordinated with the whistleblower. And nobody believes him now because of the following exchange …
Nunes: “What agency was this individual from?”
Schiff: “If I could interject here, we don’t want to these proceedings –”
Nunes: “It’s our time –”
Schiff: “I know, but we need to protect the whistleblower.”#VindmanTestimony https://t.co/aLkMmy4bax pic.twitter.com/RTLrItJ5ek
— The Hill (@thehill) November 19, 2019
Huh. How could Schiff possibly have known who Vindman was talking about here if he doesn’t know the identity of the whistleblower? At a bare minimum, he knows that Vindman knows who the whistleblower is and certainly became concerned that his statements were going to reveal his identity.
Jordan should subpoena Schiff to testify.
RELATED: Whistleblower Identified: Democrat Who Worked With Biden, Ex-CIA Chief John Brennan
They Got Caught
Vindman and Schiff both got caught during the exchange with Rep. Devin Nunes. Schiff, as we already mentioned, and Vindman who stated in his deposition that he didn’t know the identity of the whistleblower – A man who the Political Insider has already identified as CIA officer Eric Ciaramella, a registered Democrat who worked with former Vice President Joe Biden and former CIA Director John Brennan.
Watch how he clams up after Nunes asks, “How it is possible for you to name these people and then out the whistleblower?”
?HOLY SMOKES ?
This exact moment is when we know the impeachment hearings are a farce:
Schiff, Vindman: We do not know the identity of the whistleblower
GOP: So how will you know if we name him?
Schiff, Vindman: STOP ASKING QUESTIONS! HE’S A GREAT GUY. IT HURTS HIS FEELINGS pic.twitter.com/6Fn0n5dzO4
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) November 19, 2019
In a span of just a few minutes, Vindman avoided answering that question by insisting Nunes refer to him by rank, then repeatedly saying his counsel has advised him not to answer.
“Are you aware that this is the Intelligence Committee that’s conducting this impeachment hearing?” Nunes quipped. “Wouldn’t the appropriate place for you to come to testify would be the Intelligence Committee about someone within the intelligence community?”
Jordan and Nunes clearly outed Vindman and Schiff as liars during today’s hearing. Nobody, as Jordan states, believes them.
