Yovanovitch: “I Felt Threatened By Trump”
(NBC News) Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, abruptly removed from her post last spring, told Congress Friday “no real reason was offered as to why I had to leave and why it was being done in such a manner.”
She was recalled without cause, Yovanovitch says, falsely painted as disloyal by the president’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who she says wanted her out of the way so he could conduct a shadow ukraine policy at the urging of Mr. Trump.
President Trump, meanwhile, referred to her as “bad news” in the July call with President Zelenskiy, and someone “who was going to go through some things,” leaving her feeling threatened.
“I couldn’t believe it, I mean, again shocked, appalled, devastated, that the President of the United States would talk about any ambassador like that to a foreign head of state, and it was me, I mean I couldn’t believe it,” Yovanovitch said.
During her testimony, the chairman interrupted with what he suggested is real-time witness intimidation.
“As we sit here testifying the president is attacking you on Twitter…I’ll give you a chance to respond. I’ll read one of his tweets,” Rep. Adam Schiff said. “Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia – how did that go?”
“I actually think that where I’ve served over the years, I and others have demonstrably made things better,” Yovanovitch responded.
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