Washington, D.C. — Democrats are once again dredging up years-old intrigue over President Trump’s foreign-policy phone calls — this time led by Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), a former NSC staffer best known for helping ignite Trump’s first impeachment.
Now Vindman is demanding Trump release a transcript of a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made after the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — a move critics say is more political theater than national-security concern.
Appearing on CNN News Central, Vindman ominously teased the existence of what he called a “shocking” conversation, claiming, “Of all the calls I reviewed, two stood out as the most problematic.” The first, he noted, was the Zelensky call that Democrats used to impeach Trump.
“The second was between President Trump and Mohammed bin Salman,” Vindman declared. He said the conversation was “about the murder of an American resident — a Virginia resident — and a Washington Post reporter.”
But Vindman offered zero details about what supposedly made the call so dire. Instead, he issued dramatic warnings from the House floor, saying, “The American people and the Khashoggi family deserve to know what was said on that call… You will be shocked by what you hear.”
Despite the breathless insinuations, the timing of Vindman’s comments raised eyebrows. He made them immediately after President Trump hosted the Saudi crown prince at the White House and defended his guest before the press. When questioned about Khashoggi, Trump responded in his characteristic blunt style: “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman… Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen.” He also said the crown prince “knew nothing about it.”
U.S. intelligence assessments have previously stated the crown prince likely approved the 2018 operation in Istanbul — a point well known and long publicized. Khashoggi, a Saudi national and Washington Post columnist, had sharply criticized Saudi leadership after leaving the kingdom in 2017.
Republicans argue Vindman is once again trying to revive old grievances to damage Trump politically, especially since he refuses to specify what he claims makes the call so “problematic.” Even Vindman himself asked rhetorically, “Does anyone believe that the Zelensky call was the only problematic conversation Donald Trump had with a foreign leader?”
We’ve heard this script before — and we’re not buying a sequel.
