I was never briefed on why Vindman decided to retire when he did. There was some speculation that he felt pressure to act because of the impact his case was having on others caught in the fray. On July 2, 2020, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) had announced that she would block Senate confirmation of over 1,100 military promotions until she received written confirmation that Vindman’s promotion wouldn’t be stymied.
