Trump Blasts Former Ambassador to Ukraine As She Testifies, Prompting Intimidation Warning

By Staff, Agencies

Even as former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch warned Friday about the national security risks of publicly undermining American diplomats in the Foreign Service, US President Donald Trump took to Twitter in real time to try to discredit her and defend his decision to recall her from her post.

Yovanovitch, the latest career diplomat to testify in the House impeachment inquiry, said during the second day of public hearings that openly criticizing US officials working in foreign countries only serves to undercut US interests and may encourage foreign leaders to attempt to sideline American diplomats pushing for difficult but needed reforms.

“Shady interests the world over have learned how little it takes to remove an American ambassador who does not give them what they want,” she said, referring to her ouster in May following what she calls a smear campaign by some in the Trump administration. “After these events, what foreign official, corrupt or not, could be blamed for wondering whether the ambassador represents the president’s views?”

As she testified, Trump went on Twitter to criticize her and defend his right to hire and fire ambassadors at will. He claimed without evidence “that everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad.” During the first hearing, on Wednesday, Trump was silent on Twitter during the proceeding and said he was not watching it.

“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 US President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors.”