President Donald Trump attacked former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch on Twitter on Friday as she testified as part of an impeachment hearing in the House of Representatives.
The tweet has drawn criticism—including from Yavanovitch, who was asked about the tweet during her testimony—calling it “very intimidating.”
“Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors,” the president wrote in a string of tweets. “….They call it “serving at the pleasure of the President.” The U.S. now has a very strong and powerful foreign policy, much different than proceeding administrations. It is called, quite simply, America First! With all of that, however, I have done FAR more for Ukraine than O.”
Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2019
….They call it “serving at the pleasure of the President.” The U.S. now has a very strong and powerful foreign policy, much different than proceeding administrations. It is called, quite simply, America First! With all of that, however, I have done FAR more for Ukraine than O.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2019
The president’s tweets were read to Yovanovitch shortly after they were posted by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who asked her whether the tweets could have an effect on others to “come forward and expose wrongdoing.”
“It’s very intimidating,” she said. “I can’t speak to what the president is trying to do, but I think the effect is to be intimidating.”
Schiff responded: “I want to let you know ambassador, that some of us here take witness intimidation very, very seriously.”
BREAKING: As Yovanovitch testifies about being undermined from within the US government and feeling threatened by the president, Chairman Schiff pauses the impeachment hearing to read President Trump's tweets attacking Yovanovitch while she was testifying. pic.twitter.com/Y5uPXW2d9g
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 15, 2019
The president’s tweets were criticized by both his critics and even some conservatives.
This is witness intimidation. https://t.co/CbCYjprVYm
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) November 15, 2019
We shouldn't allow ourselves to be desensitized to the president's open intimidation of a witness, especially as she testifies to Congress. It's an egregious abuse of power that reflects Trump's complete disregard for our democracy and our liberty. https://t.co/lMZiQkMzcT
— Evan McMullin 🇺🇸 (@EvanMcMullin) November 15, 2019
Witness intimidation is a crime, no matter who does it. Full stop.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 15, 2019
Wow. Tweeting this as she was testifying, very powerfully, about how intimidated she already feels is extraordinarily reckless. https://t.co/57KaYaUdjK
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 15, 2019
That was a turning point in this hearing so far. She was already a sympathetic witness & the President’s tweet ripping her allowed Schiff to point it out real time characterizing it as witness tampering or intimidation -adding an article of impeachment real-time. https://t.co/HSCkGMIqmH
— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) November 15, 2019
Former independent counsel Ken Starr criticizes Trump's tweets attacking Yovanovitch: "I must say that the president was not advised by counsel in deciding to do this tweet. Extraordinarily poor judgment … obviously I think this was quite injurious." pic.twitter.com/BFTwqX12AD
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 15, 2019
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