William Inboden, a former national security aide to President George W. Bush, said the White House is openly attacking its own staff members for "upholding their constitutional duties."
His comments came in a New York Times analysis published Wednesday about the impeachment inquiry hearings.
"This White House appears to be cannibalizing itself," Inboden said. "While many previous White House staffs have feuded with each other and leaked against each other, this is the first time in history I am aware of a White House openly attacking its own staff — especially for merely upholding their constitutional duties."
The Times referenced Tuesday's public testimony of Jennifer Williams, a national security aide to Vice President Mike Pence, and pointed out the White House had issued a statement following her appearance challenging her credibility.
And over the weekend, President Donald Trump tweeted about Williams, saying she should read both transcripts of his calls with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and "meet with the other Never Trumpers, who I don't know & mostly never heard of, & work out a better presidential attack!"
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine policy official on the National Security Council staff, has been the target of Trump and the White House. As he was testifying Tuesday, the White House tweeted a message denouncing his judgment, the Times noted.
And the newspaper reported that Trump, speaking with reporters, appeared to scorn Vindman for appearing at the hearing in uniform.
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