# Why did W.H. personnel applaud when Vindman left? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080 "2021-06-26T18:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080/1 "2021-06-26T18:33:41Z")
I have tried unsuccessfully to find out the reason that some White House personnel were applauding when Alexander Vindman was escorted out of the White House in Feb. 2020. Was it a show of support for Trump for firing him or was it a show of support for Vindman for telling the truth? Did anyone ever find an answer to that question? I can’t find anything about it. What’s the straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2021, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080/2 "2021-06-26T22:26:21Z")
My cursory research on this only produces results claiming that Trump made the assertion that lots of people clapped when Vindman was removed from his National Security Council post. The same news articles that report on Trump’s claim tend to report the claim has been made “without evidence.” Given this information I don’t believe we can say for sure any applause happened. In fact even given Trump’s questionable relationship with the truth, the context of his statement frankly sounds more metaphorical than factual. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080/3 "2021-06-28T11:30:23Z")
“And they all said to me with tears in their eyes, ‘Sir…’” Seriously though, I think **Martin\_Hyde** has it - it’s an unsupported and uncorroborated claim by Trump himself. The implication is that it’s support for Trump firing him, but it may not have happened at all. > **[Trump tells Geraldo that 'many people' in White House applauded after Vindman...](https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-vindman-applause-white-house)** > > President Trump claimed that many people in the White House applauded after Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, one of the key impeachment witnesses, left the building. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080/4 "2021-06-28T12:36:46Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Was it a show of support for Trump for firing him or was it a show of support for Vindman for telling the truth? I have this question in many situations, both of cheering and of booing. (For example, in a sports game, when a player is removed, and the crowd boos, are they booing the player or the referee?) It’s quite unfortunate that the lack of words creates so much ambiguity. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080/5 "2021-06-28T12:51:46Z")
This is good. My own cursory research didn’t find any articles searching for Vindman and escorted and applause, no doubt because it wasn’t reported as news since it actually wasn’t news. I didn’t remember that the “event” had been described by Trump. I believe you have the straight dope. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080/6 "2021-06-28T15:23:36Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I have this question in many situations, both of cheering and of booing. (For example, in a sports game, when a player is removed, and the crowd boos, are they booing the player or the referee?) It’s quite unfortunate that the lack of words creates so much ambiguity. They’re saying “BOOO-urns”. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080/7 "2021-06-28T17:25:31Z")
Did Vindman even have an office in the White House? ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-w-h-personnel-applaud-when-vindman-left/945080/8 "2021-06-28T17:30:22Z")
AFAICT he did, the reports of his and his brother being dismissed from the NSC indicate they were escorted out of the White House. I believe a number of NSC staff have offices in the White House, I think on the same floor as the situation room (which is in the basement.) I tried to find more details about which specific staff have offices but the information seemed vague, possibly intentionally.