Alexander Vindman Praises ‘Historical’ Biden Speech as White House Runs Damage Control After He Says Putin Must Go

Joe Biden is in hot water after declaring that Vladimir Putin must go, leading to the White House being forced to run damage control.

Biden said about Putin at the end of his speech in Warsaw, Poland today, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”

A White House official clarified the statement following the speech and said that comment was referring to Putin exercising power outside of Russia.

In an email, the official explained, “The president’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.”

That didn’t stop Alexander Vindman from praising the speech and calling it “historical,” while comparing it to a speech given by John F. Kennedy in Berlin.

Vindman suggested in a tweet, “This was (a) historical speech for @POTUS. Like Kennedy’s Berlin Speech, this is the one Biden will be remembered for.”

“Biden laid down a marker that the US will defend its allies & democracy. I’m proud of my POTUS & his powerful leadership during a climactic battle for democracy,” Vindman insisted.

This was an historical speech for @POTUS. Like Kennedy’s Berlin Speech, this is the one Biden will be remembered for. Biden laid down a marker that the US will defend its allies & democracy. I’m proud of my POTUS & his powerful leadership during a climactic battle for democracy.

— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) March 26, 2022

Much of Biden’s speech involved placing blame for the Russian invasion into Ukraine directly on Putin and delivering a plea to the Russian people not to be welcoming or supportive of the war, The Hill reported.

Biden’s comment was a particularly notable moment as it would mark a shift in his thinking about Putin’s position in Russia. 

The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment to clarify the statement and so it’s unclear if it meant that Biden muddled his words or went off-script with his comments.