National Security Council official Alexander Vindman cut off the top Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee during the third public impeachment inquiry hearing and asked him to call him by his military rank.
The exchange occurred when Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) began to ask Vindman a question.
“Mr. Vindman, you testified in your deposition that you did not know the whistleblower,” he began.
Vindman interrupted, saying, “Ranking member, it’s Lt. Col. Vindman please.”
The exchange prompted mocking from veterans and members of the military on social media:
Bernard Kerik, former New York City police commissioner and also an Army veteran, said the exchange showed Vindman’s arrogance:
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT), himself an Army veteran, questioned Vindman about his request later during the hearing.
“Very quickly — I’m curious when Ranking Member Nunes referred to you as Mr. Vindman, you quickly corrected him and wanted to be called Lt. Col. Vindman — do you always insist on civilians calling you by your military rank?” Stewart asked.
Vindman responded, “Mr. Stewart, Rep. Stewart, I’m in uniform wearing my military rank. I just thought it would be appropriate to stick with that.”
However, when Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY) said “Mr. Vindman,” Vindman did not request that he call him “Lt. Col. Vindman.”
Stewart also noted that Vindman was wearing his military dress uniform despite not normally wearing one to the White House.
“Lt. Col. Vindman, I see you’re wearing your dress uniform, knowing that’s not the uniform of the day — you normally wear a suit to the White House,” he said.
“I think it’s a great reminder of your military service,” Stewart added.
Vindman also testified for his closed-door deposition in his uniform last month. An Army spokesman told Breitbart News at the time that Vindman would follow the dress code of the National Security Council when testifying.
Follow Breitbart News’s @Kristina_Wong.