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| Recalled US ambassador felt 'threatened' by Trump | Recalled US ambassador felt 'threatened' by Trump |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| 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 had been "shocked" by what the president said about her in the 25 July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. | |
| That call triggered the current congressional impeachment investigation that could seek to remove Mr Trump from office for alleged abuses of power. | That call triggered the current congressional impeachment investigation that could seek to remove Mr Trump from office for alleged abuses of power. |
| "I didn't know what it meant," Ms Yovanovitch said about the US president's words. "I was very concerned. I still am." | "I didn't know what it meant," Ms Yovanovitch said about the US president'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 career 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. | In her testimony, the career 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. |
| "You need to go big or go home," Mr Sondland allegedly told her. Ms Yovanovitch testified that she did not think she could follow the advice. | "You need to go big or go home," Mr Sondland allegedly told her. Ms Yovanovitch testified that she did not think she could follow the advice. |
| Ms Yovanovitch added that Mr Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani began efforts to discredit her in late 2018 as he effectively ran a shadow foreign policy on Ukraine. | Ms Yovanovitch added that Mr Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani began efforts to discredit her in late 2018 as he effectively ran a shadow foreign policy on Ukraine. |
| The diplomat testified that Mr Giuliani wanted to investigate Mr Biden and his son in order to find information "that could be possibly damaging to a Presidential run". | The diplomat testified that Mr Giuliani wanted to investigate Mr Biden and his son in order to find information "that could be possibly damaging to a Presidential run". |
| Mr Giuliani also enlisted Ukraine's prosecutor general, Yuriy Lutsenko, to spread "falsehoods" about her in order to "hurt" her "in the US", according to Ms Yovanovitch. | Mr Giuliani also 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 had been warned by Ukraine's justice minister that "I really needed to watch my back". | She said she had been warned by Ukraine's justice minister that "I really needed to watch my back". |
| Ms Yovanovitch left Ukraine in May, months ahead of her scheduled departure. | Ms Yovanovitch left Ukraine in May, months ahead of her scheduled departure. |
| During her testimony she recalled how Mr Giuliani sought to override a Department of State refusal to grant a tourist visa to another former Ukrainian prosecutor general, Viktor Shokin, whom consular officials had rejected on the basis of "known corrupt activities". | |
| On Monday the House Intelligence Committee also released the transcript from last month's testimony by a former top adviser to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. | |
| Michael McKinley told the inquiry he had recommended a statement of support for Ms Yovanovitch, but was told Mr Pompeo had decided "better not to... at this time." | |
| Mr McKinley resigned from his post days before his congressional testimony last month. | 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". | 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". |
| "The timing of my resignation was the result of two overriding concerns: the failure, in my view, of the State Department to offer support to Foreign Service employees caught up in the impeachment inquiry; and, second, by what appears to be the utilisation of our ambassadors overseas to advance domestic political objectives," he added, according to the transcript. | "The timing of my resignation was the result of two overriding concerns: the failure, in my view, of the State Department to offer support to Foreign Service employees caught up in the impeachment inquiry; and, second, by what appears to be the utilisation of our ambassadors overseas to advance domestic political objectives," he added, according to the transcript. |
| Mr McKinley said he had never seen such alleged tactics in 37 years of working for the US government. | Mr McKinley said he had never seen such alleged tactics in 37 years of working for the US government. |
| Also on Monday, four US officials who were called to testify to Congress failed to show up as requested. | Also on Monday, four US officials who were called to testify to Congress failed to show up as requested. |
| Mr Trump, meanwhile, continued to call for the US government whistleblower who exposed the Trump-Zelensky call to waive anonymity. | Mr Trump, meanwhile, continued to call for the US government whistleblower who exposed the Trump-Zelensky call to waive anonymity. |