9NEWS Breaking News and Live Updates: Follow live updates here

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A white man who was carried to safety by a Black Lives Matter protester after he was allegedly attacked amid violent clashes is a former police officer, British Transport Police confirmed.

A photo of the moment which has since gone viral shows Bryn Male being carried by Patrick Hutchinson after clashes broke out near London’s Waterloo station on Saturday.

“We can confirm Bryn Male worked in the London area as a police officer for British Transport Police, latterly as a Detective Constable,” British Transport Police said in a statement. “He retired from the force in September 2014,” it added.

More than 100 people were arrested in London at the weekend after violence broke out as far-right groups targeted Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Protesters around the world have taken to the streets following the death of George Floyd.Hutchinson, who is a grandfather, previously told CNN that he helped the injured demonstrator because he did not want the main reason for the protests to be lost in one moment of violence.

“My real focus was on avoiding a catastrophe, all of a sudden, the narrative changes into ‘Black Lives Matters, Youngsters Kill Protesters.’ That was the message we were trying to avoid,” Hutchinson said.

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Military investigating allegations that missing Fort Hood soldier was sexually harassed

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Military investigating allegations that missing Fort Hood soldier was sexually harassed

The military launched an investigation into allegations that a missing soldier who vanished from her post at Fort Hood earlier this year was sexually harassed, officials said Thursday.

In a statement released by Fort Hood, officials said that the Army commander of Private First Class Vanessa Guillen’s regiment had appointed an investigative team to examine the allegations.

Guillen, 20, was last seen April 22 in the parking lot of her squadron headquarters at Fort Hood, roughly an hour north of Austin. Her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet were found in the armory room where she was working the day she disappeared.

The announcement of the harassment probe came two days after Guillen’s mother, Gloria Guillen, told reporters that months had passed and “we know nothing, nothing, nothing. What’s happened? What happened on that base? Why did my daughter disappear?”

Vanessa’s sister, Mayra Guillen, told Dateline earlier this week that Vanessa had previously expressed to their mother that she felt unsafe at Fort Hood and that a sergeant had been sexually harassing her. Mayra said Vanessa never identified that person and never reported the incidents to the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program.

On Monday, military officials said investigators had uncovered no credible information that she had been sexually assaulted. Nor had they found evidence linking her case to another missing Fort Hood soldier, Gregory Wedel-Morales. Wedel-Morales was last seen on Aug. 19, 2019, driving in the city of Killeen, where Fort Hood is located.

The military has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to Guillen’s whereabouts. The president of the League of United Latin American Citizens said Tuesday that the advocacy group is offering another $25,000.

The case has been publicized by actress Salma Hayek, who posted a photo of Guillen on her Instagram page last week with a message to her 15 million followers: “Bring back Vanessa…we won’t stop until you come back.”

Tim Stelloh is a reporter for NBC News, based in California.

Andrea Cavallier

Andrea Cavallier is a Digital Producer for Dateline NBC. 

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Australia coronavirus latest updates: Coalition plans welfare overhaul as Victoria grapples with mystery cases – live news

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Australia coronavirus latest updates: Coalition plans welfare overhaul as Victoria grapples with mystery cases – live news










The prime minister is holding a press conference in the Blue Room at 9am

Chris Uhlmann
(@CUhlmann)

There has been a significant cyber intrusion aimed at Government and the private sector across Australia. Expect to hear more on this within the hour. Not all of it sucessful but on a massive scale. #auspol @9NewsAUS


June 18, 2020










Everyone is out and about on the Eden-Monaro byelection campaign today.

Anthony Albanese and Labor candidate Kristy McBain are at a childcare centre at Jindabyne

Scott Morrison and Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs are headed to the Snowy 2.0 site

Matt Canavan and Susan McDonald and the Nationals candidate Trevor Hicks are holding an event in the Senate courtyard










On criticisms that the government is dismissing the skills which come with arts degree – such as critical thinking – Dan Tehan says:


No, not at all. We want students to be able to critically think. We know that’s going to be an important skill when it comes to jobs of the future but we also want to make sure that those students have got the skills in the areas of where the jobs will be. So if you are going to do philosophy, we want you to think about doing a language. If you are going to do ancient Greek, do IT with it. Just make sure that you are thinking about getting the skills that you’ll need to get a job beyond your degree.










The government wants to shake up the university sector, doubling the cost of an arts degree, but decreasing the cost of ‘job ready’ degrees – Paul Karp has covered off the changes here

Dan Tehan was asked to explain why on ABC News Breakfast this morning


What we want to do is first make sure that we’ve got additional places in the system because we know as a result of the coronavirus pandemic we’re going to see more demand for places in the higher education system and also we want to incentivise students to undertake courses that will give them the skills to take the jobs of the future. We need young Australians to help us grow our economy through the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic and what this is all about is incentivising people to look at teaching, to look at nursing, to look at allied health, to look at engineering and to look at IT because we know that the jobs of the future will be in those areas.










Airlines try to lure back Australians as border restrictions ease

Jetstar has announced cut-price airfares and Qantas will give frequent flyers extra points to get Australians flying as coronavirus restrictions ease.

Jetstar is offering 10,000 one-way fares for $19 on 22 routes, including Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Gold Coast, Melbourne to Ballina, Brisbane to Whitsunday Coast and Adelaide to Cairns. Other routes have also been discounted but not to the same extent.

Qantas is also offering incentives for travellers, with triple points for frequent flyers on all routes.

Many of Australia’s state borders are set to open by late July, with South Australia taking the first step.

Residents from Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are now allowed to enter South Australia without quarantining for two weeks, with plans to open all state borders by 20 July. The Northern Territory says it will open its borders to all states and territories, but not until 17 July.

Queensland will notionally bring down borders on 10 July, but both the premier and the chief health officer have indicated this date is moveable, and Western Australia and Tasmania are holding firm on their hard border for now.

Qantas Group’s chief executive, Alan Joyce, says almost 400,000 seats have been sold on Qantas and Jetstar’s domestic networks in the past two weeks, after news the news of softening borders.

He said he hopes the sale and points offers will boost that further and help tourism operators get back on their feet.

Qantas and Jetstar will continue to reintroduce flights across their domestic networks in line with demand and the easing of border restrictions.

Updated










The conversation then moved on to Anthony Bryne:

Q: What about Anthony Byrne? These text messages today in the paper where he is talking in really bad terms about women and ethnic minorities. What you make of his dealings?

Albanese: I have counselled him about the nature of those text messages, they are inappropriate. But when I am at the childcare centre here in Jindabyne this morning, or when I am meeting with small business in Thredbo with Kristy McBain, guess what? They will be talking about jobs, talking about the economy and talking about the withdrawal of support. They’re not really interest in text messages between two individuals, provide for some headlines. Australians are focused on what is happening to them and that is my focus as well. I am not going through the details of the text messages between individuals.

Q: I too care about Eden-Monaro. Unfortunately for you guys, the media is talking about branch stacking in the ALP right now. If you want to be prime minister, have you not got to sort out your ranks? What is going on with Anthony Byrne? He is the department head of the parliament intelligence committee?

Albanese: No, he is the deputy chair. And the chair, Andrew Hastie, the Liberal party chair, gave him a glowing character reference just this week and said that he was serving the national interest on that committee, which is a committee that operates on a bipartisan basis. We dealt with these things when we intervened into the branch on Tuesday night. Daniel Andrews took swift action. He showed real leadership about what was happening in the Victorian branch.

And the national executive responded appropriately. Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin – I cannot think of two people who have been involved in political life who have more integrity than Steve and Jenny. They have been put in charge of making recommendations. They will do that. They are now in charge of the branch as the administrators and that is a good thing. We have acted swiftly. And what I am doing is getting on with the job of issues that are of concern to Australians.

Updated










Anthony Albanese was also asked about the Victorian Labor branch-stacking allegations while on the Seven Network this morning:

Q: You have some other issues at the moment that we want to get to. The Victorian ALP branch-stacking scandal. The Victorian politician at the centre of this, Adem Somyurek is now threatening legal action against those who secretly recorded him. Are you confident that you and federal MP Anthony Byrne will not be implicated in this if it all airs in court?

Albanese: I am certainly confident that I knew nothing about any of this until Sunday night when it was shown.

Q: You knew nothing about any of this?

Albanese: I knew nothing about it. I was told there was going to be something on 60 Minutes, I watched the show. I met Adem Somyurek I think once in my life, I have probably been in the same room as him a few times. I’m not familiar with him.

Updated










Dan Tehan was asked about the future of jobkeeper while speaking to the ABC this morning:


So what the government is doing at the moment is having a review of jobkeeper. It’s methodical. We are getting all the data that we need to make the key decisions going forward, which will strengthen our economy as we come out of the coronavirus pandemic.

Now we said that we would review jobkeeper in June and that’s been undertaken.

I know that the Treasury are giving a lot of thought to the recommendations that will go into that review and then the government will consider it in July. So that will be done in a very considered, methodical way and in a way that we think will ensure that we continue to grow our economy and grow jobs out of this coronavirus pandemic.

Updated










Scott Morrison, when asked about the future of jobkeeper and jobseeker yesterday, didn’t give any concrete answers.

There are reports that the wage subsidy will become more targeted, something that has been floating around for awhile.

That most likely means businesses that look like going under, or will never open again, but are now remaining “running” under jobkeeper – the so-called “zombie businesses” – will fall off, and industries that need the support will see it directed to them.

In terms of jobseeker, which the Covid supplement has doubled to $1,100 a fortnight, the signs are pointing to it being raised from the old $40-a-day rate, which no one considered livable – but don’t expect it to sit around the current rate, either. Neither the government or Labor support it sitting above the pension (although the easy solution would seem to be to raise the pension, but that apparently is crazy talk).

Anthony Albanese was asked about what he wanted the government to do, while speaking to the Seven Network this morning:


The real unemployment rate is already about 11.3% if you take those people who simply have given up looking for work and this is having a devastating impact.

We need sectional packages to support industries like the arts and entertainment sector. We need to make sure that those workers who have missed out completely from jobkeeper, like the dnata workers – they used to be called Qantas Catering. It is not their fault that the company got taken over but they have missed out on support here.

We can’t leave people behind. The truth is, today is exactly 100 days until jobkeeper stops and people literally will fall off a cliff.

The idea that you can just withdraw all that support at one point in time, childcare workers have already been thrown off jobkeeper from next week, and it is going to have a real impact. The government needs to put in place an economic strategy that has jobs, jobs and jobs as its three priorities.

Updated










Good morning

Parliament may be on break until 4 August but that doesn’t mean the politics stops.

The winter break will be used to come up with the framework for what will happen to all the coronavirus wage support measures beyond September, when jobkeeper and the Covid supplement to jobseeker come to an end.

You’re watching the reshaping of Australia. There are the coming industrial relations changes, as well as changes to university courses, which will dictate what and who is doing the jobs of the future. The ramifications of these changes will be felt for years to come.

And it’s all playing out in the shadow of the coronavirus, which is still causing problems in Victoria.

Although not enough to change that state’s plans to ease its own restrictions come Monday.

As AAP reported late yesterday:


Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen said authorities still plan to relax restrictions on Monday, though a lot can happen in the meantime.

“Monday is not that far away. The plan is to continue to ease those restrictions on Monday, but a lot can happen in five days,” Dr Van Diemen told reporters on Thursday.

“We don’t want to take any chances and if it does continue to climb, we will be taking all of that into account when we decide whether or not to ease further on Monday.”

Gyms, cinemas, indoor sports centres and concert venues will reopen on Monday, while cafes, restaurants and pubs will increase capacity from 20 people to 50.

We’ll take you through all the coronavirus news, as well as the political news at large. You have Amy Remeikis as your blog captain for most of the day.

Ready?

Updated



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19 June 2020 – The Mail & Guardian

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19 June 2020 – The Mail & Guardian

These are unprecedented times, and the role of media to tell and record the story of South Africa as it develops is more important than ever. But it comes at a cost. Advertisers are cancelling campaigns, and our live events have come to an abrupt halt. Our income has been slashed.

The Mail & Guardian is a proud news publisher with roots stretching back 35 years. We’ve survived thanks to the support of our readers, we will need you to help us get through this.

To help us ensure another 35 future years of fiercely independent journalism, please subscribe.



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Cao Dai Church in Vietnam Resists Takeover Bid by Followers of State-Controlled Branch

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Cao Dai Church in Vietnam Resists Takeover Bid by Followers of State-Controlled Branch

Followers of Vietnam’s Cao Dai religion confronted supporters of a state-sanctioned branch of the church who came to take over their facilities on Thursday, with church members barring the door against the intruders amid heated arguments with local authorities, sources told RFA’s Vietnamese Service.

The attempted takeover of the Hieu Xuong, also called Phu Lam, temple in Phu Yen province’s Tuy Hoa city was launched in the early morning by about 60 members of the state-approved Cao Dai church together with local police, a leader of the other group said.

He and other members of his congregation then quickly gathered to protect their building, the church leader named Nguyen Ha said.

“We closed the door, not allowing them into the temple, and some of our followers who were standing outside spoke with the authorities and the state-affiliated Cao Dai group,” Nguyen said, adding, “The dispute in front of the temple’s gate lasted for many hours.”

At 11:00, the state-sanctioned group departed after taking video footage of the clash, he said.

Speaking to RFA following the clash, Cao Van Minh—a Cao Dai church leader and manager of the Hieu Xuong temple—said he hopes that the state-affiliated Cao Dai group and the local authorities will now leave them alone.

“We don’t want them to disturb us anymore,” Cao said.

“We only want to be authentic followers of the Cao Dai church belonging to God, and not have to argue about these things,” he said.

Reached for comment, an office on duty at the Tuy Hoa City police department denied any knowledge of the clash.

Frequent clashes

Vietnam’s government officially recognizes the Cao Dai religion, which combines elements of many religions, but imposes harsh controls on dissenting groups who do not follow the state-sanctioned branches, and clashes are frequent.

In March 2017, authorities disrupted a group of unsanctioned Cao Dai adherents in Dong Thap province’s Tam Nong district and seized their church for use by an officially recognized sect of the religion, according to the building’s administrator Duong Ngoc Re.

Re told RFA that provincial and district authorities, as well as those from local Phu Thanh A village, ordered him to meet with them twice on March 16 and 19 to force his group to follow a sanctioned Cao Dai sect, but he refused.

Just a month before, two Cao Dai followers were beaten and robbed by plainclothes police, a source told RFA at the time, adding that local authorities often hire thugs or plainclothes officers to beat and harass activists when they lack evidence to arrest them.

The State Department removed Vietnam from its list of Countries of Particular Concern for violating religious freedom in 2006 amid improving diplomatic relations, but rights groups and Vietnamese religious activists have long questioned that decision.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in an annual report in April 2019 that “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom” justified returning Hanoi to the blacklist.

Reported by RFA’s Vietnamese Service. Translated by Huy Le. Written in English by Richard Finney.



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Former White House Ethics Chief Reveals ‘Disturbing’ Ivanka Trump Emails

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Former White House Ethics Chief Reveals ‘Disturbing’ Ivanka Trump Emails

Ivanka Trump, president Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser, was conducting government business from a private email account before she was employed by the government, according to records getting new attention this week. 

Walter Shaub, former head of the US Office of Government Ethics, highlighted two messages uncovered by the nonpartisan watchdog group American Oversight. He served in the ethics office for six months under then-President Barack Obama and resigned six months into the Trump presidency. 

One of the messages Shaub shared on Twitter appeared to show Ivanka Trump conducting business with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos almost a month before she had an official role:

Another, which was from several days earlier, referred to a government official as her “chief of staff.”

The organisation uncovered the messages in 2017 via a Freedom of Information Act request. But they’re receiving new attention in the wake of allegations in former national security advisor John Bolton’s upcoming book, which claims the president defended Saudi Arabia after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to distract from the news that Ivanka Trump had been conducting government business via private email. 

That behaviour was something the president railed against during the 2016 presidential campaign when the issue was Hillary Clinton’s private email server. The mere mention of the emails routinely led to “lock her up” chants at his rallies.

The president’s daughter has been at the centre of multiple ethics controversies during the Trump administration. In addition to her use of private email, she was awarded at least 18 trademarks by China at a time when the administration was attempting to negotiate trade with the country. 



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California Gov. Newsom Makes Face Masks Mandatory Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases

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California Gov. Newsom Makes Face Masks Mandatory Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases

Gov. Gavin Newsom said requiring masks is a necessary step as Californians continue to ignore recommended face-covering guidelines.

Jeff Chiu/AP


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Jeff Chiu/AP

Gov. Gavin Newsom said requiring masks is a necessary step as Californians continue to ignore recommended face-covering guidelines.

Jeff Chiu/AP

Updated at 8:39 p.m. ET

Californians are required to wear face coverings in high-risk settings as the state continues to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the statewide order on Thursday. It follows new guidance from the California Department of Public Health that asymptomatic or presymptomatic people can still spread the disease.

“Our numbers are going up, not going down. Hospitalization numbers are just starting to creep back up, and I’m very concerned by what we’re seeing,” Newsom told Los Angeles’ ABC7.

“We think the most impactful thing we can do, short of going back to a stay-at-home order, is wearing face coverings when we can’t practice physical distancing,” the governor added.

In the latest guidance, the Department of Public Health explained, “The use of face coverings by everyone can limit the release of infected droplets when talking, coughing, and/or sneezing, as well as reinforce physical distancing.”

People will be required to wear masks or other coverings in public spaces, including while taking public transportation, seeking medical care, shopping and in most work scenarios.

There are a few exceptions. Children under two are exempted from the rules, as are people eating or drinking in restaurants provided they can maintain a minimum six foot distance from other customers and staff who are not members of the same household.

Additionally, anyone with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering can disregard the order.

Newsom said the statewide measure was a necessary step because “we have many municipalities that require mandatory mask wearing, and people are simply not applying it.”

He did not address how the order will be enforced.

But it is likely to be met with resistance, pitting the governor against local government leaders who have dropped mandatory mask-wearing measures. In many such counties and cities, residents and business owners eager to return to pre-pandemic life have challenged the need for the widespread use of face coverings, in some cases going so far as to threaten health officials who support the extra precautions.

Reported cases of the novel coronavirus and fatalities continue to rise throughout the state. More than 161,000 have been identified with the virus, according the Department of Public Health, and the total number of deaths connected to COVID-19 is 5,290.



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California Gov. Newsom Makes Face Masks Mandatory Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases

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California Gov. Newsom Makes Face Masks Mandatory Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases

Gov. Gavin Newsom said requiring masks is a necessary step as Californians continue to ignore recommended face-covering guidelines.

Jeff Chiu/AP


hide caption

toggle caption

Jeff Chiu/AP

Gov. Gavin Newsom said requiring masks is a necessary step as Californians continue to ignore recommended face-covering guidelines.

Jeff Chiu/AP

Updated at 8:39 p.m. ET

Californians are required to wear face coverings in high-risk settings as the state continues to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the statewide order on Thursday. It follows new guidance from the California Department of Public Health that asymptomatic or presymptomatic people can still spread the disease.

“Our numbers are going up, not going down. Hospitalization numbers are just starting to creep back up, and I’m very concerned by what we’re seeing,” Newsom told Los Angeles’ ABC7.

“We think the most impactful thing we can do, short of going back to a stay-at-home order, is wearing face coverings when we can’t practice physical distancing,” the governor added.

In the latest guidance, the Department of Public Health explained, “The use of face coverings by everyone can limit the release of infected droplets when talking, coughing, and/or sneezing, as well as reinforce physical distancing.”

People will be required to wear masks or other coverings in public spaces, including while taking public transportation, seeking medical care, shopping and in most work scenarios.

There are a few exceptions. Children under two are exempted from the rules, as are people eating or drinking in restaurants provided they can maintain a minimum six foot distance from other customers and staff who are not members of the same household.

Additionally, anyone with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering can disregard the order.

Newsom said the statewide measure was a necessary step because “we have many municipalities that require mandatory mask wearing, and people are simply not applying it.”

He did not address how the order will be enforced.

But it is likely to be met with resistance, pitting the governor against local government leaders who have dropped mandatory mask-wearing measures. In many such counties and cities, residents and business owners eager to return to pre-pandemic life have challenged the need for the widespread use of face coverings, in some cases going so far as to threaten health officials who support the extra precautions.

Reported cases of the novel coronavirus and fatalities continue to rise throughout the state. More than 161,000 have been identified with the virus, according the Department of Public Health, and the total number of deaths connected to COVID-19 is 5,290.



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Yes, I’m Still Pansexual Even Though I’m In A Long-Term ‘Straight’ Relationship

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Yes, I’m Still Pansexual Even Though I’m In A Long-Term ‘Straight’ Relationship

The road to accepting my sexuality has been rocky and filled with bear-traps.

When I first came out aged 12, I was met with only derision by my peers. School became a living nightmare, a constant hell of homophobic abuse and chewing gum being spat into my hair. My confidence was shattered, and I felt such crushing shame about myself and my sexuality that I began self-harming, and developed anorexia.

I kept my sexual identity a shameful secret for years, which had a hugely detrimental effect on my mental health. I felt confused and lonely – as though the romantic and sexual choices I wanted to make were problematic and would only result in more bullying and abuse. It was only at university that I felt able to come out for a second time, inspired by a friend whose own coming out was met with love and support.

Sixteen years on from those first playground taunts – and after relationships with both men and women – I’m engaged to a wonderfully loving, supportive, funny person. They are perfect for me. They also happen to be male – and I’m finding being a pansexual woman in a heterosexual relationship is a strange experience.

Of course, there is privilege associated with being a queer woman in a straight relationship: no one shouts at me and my partner in the street; no one sneers when we kiss; no one inserts themselves into our conversations asking if we’d be ‘up for a threesome’. I am no longer subject to homophobic abuse, and I acknowledge the huge privilege I have in being able to navigate the world more safely.

“I feel an acute loss of identity – as though my lived experience as someone who isn’t straight is being slowly erased.”

On the other hand, I feel an acute loss of identity – as though my lived experience as someone who isn’t straight is being slowly erased. I love my partner with all my being, but this feeling of erasure has been difficult and painful. After all, my struggle coming out and the bullying I experienced when I did means my identity as a pansexual woman has been hard-won. I’m not ready to give it up.

Pansexuality is defined as the attraction to people of all genders. It means that we don’t limit ourselves in sexual choice to people of a particular biological sex, gender or gender identity. The closest cousin of pansexuality is probably bisexuality – although they are not the same, they share traits, and they can both lead to questions from others about whether the bi or pan person in question has ‘picked a side’ when they choose to date someone of a particular gender.



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Promotion in Jeopardy for Army Officer Who Challenged Trump on Ukraine

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Promotion in Jeopardy for Army Officer Who Challenged Trump on Ukraine

WASHINGTON — The promotion of an Army officer who was a prominent witness in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump last year is imperiled in what Pentagon and congressional officials say could be another flash point between the president and the military.

Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, a decorated Iraq war veteran who served on the staff of the White House’s National Security Council, is among scores of officers who have been picked to be promoted to full colonel this year. Typically, such promotions are backed by Army and Pentagon officials before moving to the White House for final approval and then to the Senate for a confirmation vote. The latest promotion list is now with the Pentagon’s personnel office.

But some military officials and lawmakers fear Mr. Trump’s antipathy toward Colonel Vindman could sink the officer’s promotion, despite promises from Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and other senior military leaders to protect from retribution members of the armed services who return to military duties after serving tours at the White House.

“The Army decides these cases on the merits, and I would hope the White House does as well,” Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the senior Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

Derailing Colonel Vindman’s promotion over the Pentagon’s objections could further strain Mr. Trump’s already frayed relations with the military after the president’s response to growing racial tensions and civil unrest in the country.

In his role as a Ukraine expert on the council, Colonel Vindman was on Mr. Trump’s phone call on July 25 with Ukraine’s president that later led to the impeachment inquiry. Colonel Vindman testified in the House impeachment hearings that it was “improper for the president” to coerce a foreign country to investigate a political opponent.

Hours before Colonel Vindman was marched out of the White House in February by security guards, Mr. Trump foreshadowed his fate when asked if he would be pushed out. “Well, I’m not happy with him,” the president told reporters. “You think I’m supposed to be happy with him? I’m not.”

There is no indication so far that Mr. Trump is personally involved in blocking Colonel Vindman’s promotion, a concern first reported by The Washington Post. A White House spokesman referred questions to the Pentagon. Lisa Lawrence, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in an email, without directly commenting on Colonel Vindman, “This list and any names on it have been and will be treated as is customary.”

But some Pentagon officials say that White House aides have signaled their desire to have Colonel Vindman’s name dropped from the promotion list before it is forwarded to the White House. When Colonel Vindman was dismissed from his National Security Council staff position shortly after the Senate acquitted Mr. Trump, the White House made no effort to portray the ouster as anything other than a reprisal.

One Defense Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said Pentagon officials were seeking to stand firm by forwarding the promotion list with Colonel Vindman’s name included, and forcing the White House to take responsibility for any changes it might make before sending the list to the Senate. Colonel Vindman has been scheduled to attend the National War College in July.

“We protect all of our persons, service members, from retribution or anything like that,” Mr. Esper told reporters this year.

Since the House impeachment hearings, Colonel Vindman has been subjected to virulent attacks on his patriotism on Fox News and social media.

The president called him a “Never Trumper,” a term the colonel rejected. Fox aired a segment suggesting his service in the White House might amount to “espionage.” And Senator Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, denounced him on Twitter: “How patriotic is it to badmouth and ridicule our great nation in front of Russia, America’s greatest enemy?”



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