Photo of Democratic candidate Eugene Vindman with Confederate State Flag sparks controversy on social media

A photo of Eugene Vindman holding a confederate state flag of Virginia appeared on X, formerly Twitter.

Vindman, a Democrat and a 25-year Army veteran was a key witness in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. He is running to replace Abigail Spanberger (D) in the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia’s 7th District, which includes Prince William, Stafford, and Spotsylvania counties and Fredericksburg.

Vindman and others are holding the flag used by the Confederate Virginia State Government from 1861 to 1865. The flag is similar to the Commonwealth flag used today, with a few noted differences. There are some color variations,  the woman representing Roman virtue is fully clothed, and the king tyrant on the ground is looking up at the woman.

Today’s Virginia flag shows the woman’s exposed breast and the king tyrant lying dead on the ground.

A total of 11 Confederate states adopted state flags during the Civil War. The original X post with the photo of Vindman holding the flag has been deleted.

“Colonel Vindman served our country abroad and by standing up to Donald Trump’s corruption, so the notion that he would stand by any sort of Confederate flag is absolutely absurd,” Jeremy Levinson, a campaign spokesman, told Potomac Local News.

Vindman, a Lake Ridge resident and political newcomer, has raised $1.75 million in campaign contributions — more than any other Democrat or Republican in the race. A Primary Election on June 18 will decide which Democrat and Republican candidate will compete for the seat during the November 2024 General Election.

The majority of Vindman’s campaign donations have come from outside of the state. The Federal Election Commission sent a letter to Eugene Vindman’s campaign last month asking for clarifications on his end-of-year finance report about many unitemized donations, reports the Virginia Scope.

Levinson told Potomac Local News that Vindman is focused on the 7th District, has participated in multiple Democratic voter candidate forums, and has attended numerous fundraisers inside the homes of supporters who live there.

The three-term incumbent Spanberger announced her run for Virginia Governor in 2025, seeking to replace Glenn Youngkin (R), whom the Virginia State Constitution prohibited from seeking a second term.