Tipsheet

Jim Jordan Makes Fitting Observation About Schiff's Interruption During Tuesday Hearing

Chairman Adam Schiff pledged to interrupt public hearing proceedings for the impeachment inquiry against President Trump if he thought his Republican colleagues were trying to expose the whistleblower's identity. He made good on that pledge on Tuesday, when Ranking Member Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) was questioning witness Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman regarding with whom he discussed President Trump's July 25 phone call with President Zelensky. It was that phone call that launched the Democrats' impeachment inquiry against Trump.

"If I could interject here," Schiff interjected. "We don’t want to use these proceedings...we need to protect the whistleblower...I want to make sure that there is no effort to out the whistle-blower through these proceedings. If the witness has a good faith belief that this may reveal the identity of the whistleblower, that is not the purpose that we’re here for. I want to advise the witness accordingly."

That's all very interesting, because, just last week, Schiff told the panel that he didn't know the whistleblower's identity. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) was happy to point that out.

"You have said you don't know who the whistleblower is - even though no one believes you," Jordan said.

He wasn't the only one to make that observation.

Lt. Col. Vindman submitted to the chairman's and his counsel's wishes.

"Per the advice of my counsel, I have been advised not to answer specific questions about members of the intelligence community," the witness said.