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Recalled US ambassador felt 'threatened' by Trump | Recalled US ambassador felt 'threatened' by Trump |
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A recalled US ambassador at the centre of the Trump impeachment inquiry said she felt threatened by a cryptic remark the president made about her on a call. | A recalled US ambassador at the centre of the Trump impeachment inquiry said she felt threatened by a cryptic remark the president made about her on a call. |
Ex-envoy to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told Congress she was "very concerned" by President Donald Trump's comment in the phone call with Ukraine's leader. | Ex-envoy to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch told Congress she was "very concerned" by President Donald Trump's comment in the phone call with Ukraine's leader. |
Mr Trump told his counterpart: "Well, she's [Ms Yovanovitch] going to go through some things." | Mr Trump told his counterpart: "Well, she's [Ms Yovanovitch] going to go through some things." |
Democrats have just released the first transcripts from closed-door testimony. | Democrats have just released the first transcripts from closed-door testimony. |
The Republican president is accused of trying to pressure Ukraine into investigating unsubstantiated corruption claims against his US political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden, who worked with a Ukrainian gas company. | The Republican president is accused of trying to pressure Ukraine into investigating unsubstantiated corruption claims against his US political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden, who worked with a Ukrainian gas company. |
Ms Yovanovitch said she was "shocked" by what the president said about her in a 25 July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. | Ms Yovanovitch said she was "shocked" by what the president said about her in a 25 July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. |
"I didn't know what it meant," she said about Mr Trump's words. "I was very concerned. I still am." | "I didn't know what it meant," she said about Mr Trump's words. "I was very concerned. I still am." |
The House Intelligence Committee released Ms Yovanovitch's testimony from 11 October on Monday. | The House Intelligence Committee released Ms Yovanovitch's testimony from 11 October on Monday. |
On the Trump-Zelensky call, details of which were previously released by the White House, the US president also described Ms Yovanovitch as "bad news". | On the Trump-Zelensky call, details of which were previously released by the White House, the US president also described Ms Yovanovitch as "bad news". |
In her testimony, the seasoned US diplomat said when she sought advice from the US Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, a Trump donor, he suggested Ms Yovanovitch tweet praise of the president. | |
Ms Yovanovitch added that Mr Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani began efforts to discredit her in late 2018. | |
Mr Giuliani enlisted Ukraine's prosecutor general, Yuriy Lutsenko, to spread "falsehoods" about her in order to "hurt" her "in the US", according to Ms Yovanovitch. | |
She said she was warned by Ukraine's justice minister "I really needed to watch my back". | |
Ms Yovanovitch left Ukraine in May months ahead of her scheduled departure. | |
On Monday the House Intelligence Committee also released the transcript from testimony by a former top adviser to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. | |
Michael McKinley, who appeared before Congress on 16 October for a private hearing, said he tried but failed to get Mr Pompeo to defend Ms Yovanovitch. | |
Mr McKinley said he had suggested a letter "that's not political, stating clearly that we respect the professionalism, the tenure of Ambassador Yovanovitch in the Ukraine". | |
But he told lawmakers he received a call from a Department of State spokeswoman telling him Mr Pompeo had rejected his idea. | |
Mr McKinley resigned from his post days before his congressional testimony last month. | |
He told the committee he had stepped down over his concerns about "the engagement of our missions to procure negative political information for domestic purposes". | |
Mr McKinley said he had never seen such alleged tactics in 37 years of working for the US government. |