He's a Traitor! It's a Coup!

I'm laughing out loud (and, at the same time, saddened) at what I believe are insanely stupid arguments I keep seeing in the far-right social media channels about Lt. Colonel Vindman being a "traitor" for being part of a coup against a duly elected president.

Under the UCMJ, he had a responsibility to report to his immediate superiors, actions that he deemed to be improper, which he did on at least two occasions. Note that he did not jump the chain of command. He was subsequently lawfully subpoenaed  to testify in front of the House of Representatives, which he did with the full knowledge of his immediate chain-of-command. Had he received a subpoena from Congress and failed to comply, he could have faced charges of conduct unbecoming an officer under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Moreover, there is an ongoing discussion about whether the president's order that government personnel not testify before Congress was even a lawful order. 

Regardless of what side of this issue you are on, the bottom line is that it is very complicated -- especially since it is not handled under civil law, but rather under the UCMJ. But to glibly label this highly decorated officer a "traitor" and "part of a coup" without any evidence ... that is reckless and irresponsible, imo.