‘Very Intimidating’: Marie Yovanovitch Responds to Trump’s Real Time Attacks in Dramatic Hearing Moment
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch responded to President Donald Trump’s attack on her during her testimony, Friday, describing it as “very intimidating.”
“Ambassador Yovanovitch, as we sit here testifying, the president is attacking you on Twitter, and I’d like to give you the chance to respond,” declared Adam Schiff. “I’ll read part of one of his tweets: ‘Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go?'”
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
“I don’t think I have such powers, not in Mogadishu, Somalia, not in other places,” Yovanovitch replied. “I actually think that where I’ve served over the years, I and others have demonstrably made things better, for the U.S. as well as the countries that I’ve served in.”
After Schiff asked Yovanovitch “what effect” President Trump’s attack “has on other witnesses’ willingness to come forward and expose wrongdoing,” Yovanovitch claimed, “Well, it’s very intimidating… I mean I can’t speak to what the president is trying to do but I think the effect is to be intimidating.”
“Well, I want to let you know, Ambassador, that some of us here take witness intimidation very, very seriously,” responded Schiff.
