Ex-Army Officer At NSC Fired By Trump Running For Congress

THURSDAY PDB – Trump nemesis may be on the same ballot next year as the ex-president. Army vet Vindman who drew Trump's ire to run for Congress. Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, one of the twin Army officers targeted by former President Donald Trump for their roles in his impeachment scandal, is launching a Democratic congressional bid in Virginia that could put him on the same ballot as the former commander-in-chief.

DIVIDED LOYALTIES? – Vindman, a Ukrainian immigrant, served as deputy legal advisor for the National Security Council under Trump. Both he and his brother, Alexander, were forced into the public spotlight after Alexander testified before Congress about phone calls between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that ultimately led to the U.S. president's first impeachment trial.

CARES MORE ABOUT UKRAINE THAN US? – Eugene Vindman was a behind-the-scenes advisor for his brother during those proceedings, and like his brother was eventually forced out of that role by the Trump administration as retaliation. He has been active in advocacy work for U.S. support to Ukraine in recent years.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:

ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERROR

Israeli troops scour Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital for evidence of Hamas presence. The IDF has re-entered the grounds of Al Shifa hospital to begin excavations in their search for the Hamas command and control center they believe is located underneath.

POLITICS

Senate passes stopgap bill to avert government shutdown. The Senate on Wednesday passed a stopgap bill to keep the government open, averting a shutdown for now while setting up a contentious fight over funding in the new year.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Why the US military is investing billions in directed energy weapons. Directed energy weapons such as lasers and high-powered microwaves may soon be used to defend against drones and rockets on the battlefield.

LET IT LAPSE OR CURTAIL IT – US spy tool will lapse unless Congress and White House can cut deal. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will expire at the end of December.

BLACK HOLE – Pentagon fails sixth audit, with number of passing grades stagnant. The Defense Department's chief financial officer told reporters half of the Pentagon's assets meet auditing standards.

CHINA THREAT

WHAT DID BIDEN GIVE UP FOR THIS? – Biden, Xi agree to restart military communications. Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping left their first meeting in a year showcasing modest agreements to re-establish military communications under the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement.

China's anti-satellite weapons are ‘compounding problem we have to figure out.' Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman highlighted the danger posed by China's anti-satellite (ASAT) missile capabilities as one of the service's biggest challenges as the young service nears its fourth birthday.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

A summary of the battle of the Black Sea. Last year, Ukraine put out an unusual crowdfunding request. It aimed to build 100 sea drones, which it would use to attack Russia's Black Sea Fleet and ports.

Euro leaders blame industry for failure to meet Ukraine ammo promise. Several European nations will fail to meet a commitment to send Ukraine 1 million rounds of ammunition by next spring because manufacturers are prioritizing the export market rather than ramping up production.

IRAN THREAT

BIDEN IS TOTALLY ENABLING THIS – Iran maintains steady expansion of nuclear program. U.N. atomic agency says Tehran failed to cooperate as Iran increases stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium.

US Navy warship Thomas Hudner shoots down drone in Red Sea. The destroyer shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle Wednesday in the Red Sea — marking the second time in less than a month that a Navy warship has done so in the Middle East.

BONEs over the Middle East: B-1 bombers fly 3 missions in 8 days for CENTCOM. U.S. Air Force B-1s have flown missions over the Middle East three times in the last week and a half.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

US bomber returns to Korean Peninsula for airpower demonstration. An Air Force bomber returned to South Korean airspace with U.S. and South Korean fighter jets in tow Wednesday, nearly a month after one landed in the country for the first time in at least 30 years.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

PARTNERSHIP AGAINST CHINA – US paid $24 million for improvements to shared military runway in Philippines. American military aircraft will operate from a newly refurbished, nearly 10,000-foot runway that reopened last week at an air base north of Manila.

Japanese helicopter carrier shows off new F-35B modifications during sea trials. One of Japan's largest naval vessels took part in sea trials this week, brandishing modifications that bring it closer to embarking fifth-generation, U.S.-made fighter jets.

NATO picks Boeing E-7A Wedgetail as E-3 AWACS replacement. NATO's decision to procure six Wedgetails gives another victory on the global market to Boeing's surveillance aircraft.

US MILITARY

Pentagon counter-drone office makes headway as services adopt new tech. Its counter-drone office is pushing new capabilities on the military services and combatant commands.

Army boot camp will soon include counter-drone training. Soon brand-new Army recruits will learn how to identify and counter small drone threats in basic training.

US Navy threatens San Diego web cam after showing USS Pinckney refit. In San Diego, the Navy is continuing a year-long struggle to limit public scrutiny of port operations and Navy activities.

Marines on Okinawa stand up a littoral regiment to join sister unit on Hawaii. The service launched a new seaborne quick-reaction force on Okinawa as friction between U.S. regional allies and China is on the rise.

Marine faces court-martial after 14-year-old girl found in his room. The girl was found in Marine Pfc. Avery L. Rosario's room at Camp Pendleton on June 28.

YES, THAT'S ONE THING – Better housing key to addressing military recruitment struggles, GOP rep says. One of the keys to addressing the ongoing recruiting struggles of the U.S. military is to provide better housing, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) argued Wednesday. AND THEY NEED SAFETY FROM VIOLENT CRIME ON BASE AND DROPPING WOKENESS.

Uncharted waters: Navy navigating first-ever dismantling of nuclear-powered carrier. The challenges for the Navy to dispose of the former USS Enterprise have driven the service to stand up a new office to deal both with “The Big E” and the pipeline of Nimitz-class carriers to come.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

READ NEXT: Here's What Last Week's Elections Mean For 2024