Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., on Thursday announced her intention to block Senate confirmations for 1,123 senior U.S. Armed Forces promotions until Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirms he will not block the "expected and deserved" promotion of Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Critics accused Trump of using much-needed military aid to Ukraine as leverage in his request to Zelensky. Trump removed Vindman from his position days after being acquitted of two articles of impeachment in the Senate. In a statement, Duckworth, also an Iraq War veteran who served as a helicopter pilot, accused Trump of trying to politicize the armed forces. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP"Our military is supposed to be the ultimate meritocracy," she said.

Source: Fox News July 02, 2020 19:30 UTC