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| Marie Yovanovitch says Trump's smears against her have had 'chilling effect' on state department – live | Marie Yovanovitch says Trump's smears against her have had 'chilling effect' on state department – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| President tweets attacks against the ousted US ambassador to Ukraine as she testifies to the House impeachment inquiry – follow live | President tweets attacks against the ousted US ambassador to Ukraine as she testifies to the House impeachment inquiry – follow live |
| Speaking to reporters at the White House after delivering remarks on healthcare, Trump denied that his tweet smearing the reputation of Maria Yovanovitch amounted to witness intimidation. | |
| “I don’t think so at all,” Trump said of the witness intimidation allegations. “I have the right to speak; I have freedom of speech, just like other people do.” He called the impeachment inquiry “a disgrace” and “an embarrassment to our nation.” | |
| The president claimed Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, was more guilty of witness tampering. “Tampering is when a guy like shifty Schiff doesn’t let us have lawyers,” Trump said, referring to longstanding congressional procedure not to allow agency lawyers to be present for staffers’ depositions. | |
| Representative Jim Jordan will be the last Republican to question Maria Yovanovitch, and then four more of the committee’s Democratic members will be given the chance to speak. | |
| Chairman Adam Schiff and ranking member Devin Nunes will be allowed to deliver closing statements before the witness will be dismissed. | |
| The House intelligence committee managed to keep their five-minute recess in the impeachment hearing to about 10 minutes, so that’s an improvement from Wednesday. | |
| Maria Yovanovitch and the committee members have returned, and Republican representative Jim Jordan, one of Trump’s closest allies, has started his five minutes of questioning. | |
| Adam Schiff has called for a five-minute recess in the impeachment hearing, which will turn into a twenty-minute break if Wednesday’s proceedings are any indication. | Adam Schiff has called for a five-minute recess in the impeachment hearing, which will turn into a twenty-minute break if Wednesday’s proceedings are any indication. |
| Despite Trump’s attack on Maria Yovanovitch, Republicans on the House intelligence committee have largely gone out of their way to applaud the decades of public service by the longtime diplomat. | Despite Trump’s attack on Maria Yovanovitch, Republicans on the House intelligence committee have largely gone out of their way to applaud the decades of public service by the longtime diplomat. |
| Trump is currently speaking about healthcare at the White House, but most television networks, including Fox News, are sticking with live coverage of the impeachment hearing. | Trump is currently speaking about healthcare at the White House, but most television networks, including Fox News, are sticking with live coverage of the impeachment hearing. |
| The president was also speaking at the White House as the @realdDonaldTrump Twitter account was simultaneously resharing messages from Republicans defending him against the impeachment inquiry. | The president was also speaking at the White House as the @realdDonaldTrump Twitter account was simultaneously resharing messages from Republicans defending him against the impeachment inquiry. |
| Representative Mike Quigley, a Democrat of Illinois, mocked his Republican colleagues for suggesting Maria Yovanovitch’s career had not suffered from her removal as US ambassador to Ukraine because she is now teaching at Georgetown University. | Representative Mike Quigley, a Democrat of Illinois, mocked his Republican colleagues for suggesting Maria Yovanovitch’s career had not suffered from her removal as US ambassador to Ukraine because she is now teaching at Georgetown University. |
| “It’s like a Hallmark movie! You ended up at Georgetown!” Quigley said sarcastically, prompting laughter. Yovanovitch told the committee that Georgetown is a “wonderful place” but acknowledged she would have preferred to spend more time in her role at the Ukrainian embassy. | “It’s like a Hallmark movie! You ended up at Georgetown!” Quigley said sarcastically, prompting laughter. Yovanovitch told the committee that Georgetown is a “wonderful place” but acknowledged she would have preferred to spend more time in her role at the Ukrainian embassy. |
| “It not the end of a Hallmark movie,” Quigley said. “It’s the end of a really bad reality-TV show ... brought to you by someone who knows a lot about that.” | “It not the end of a Hallmark movie,” Quigley said. “It’s the end of a really bad reality-TV show ... brought to you by someone who knows a lot about that.” |
| Taking questions moment ago from Democratic representative Terri Sewell, Maria Yovanovitch said that the smear campaign against her seems to have had a “chilling effect not only on the embassy in Kyiv but throughout the state department.” | Taking questions moment ago from Democratic representative Terri Sewell, Maria Yovanovitch said that the smear campaign against her seems to have had a “chilling effect not only on the embassy in Kyiv but throughout the state department.” |
| The longtime diplomat also wondered why Trump or his allies would have felt it necessary to smear her name in recalling her. “There’s a question as to why the kind of campaign to get me out of Ukraine happened because all the president has to do is say he wants a different ambassador.” | The longtime diplomat also wondered why Trump or his allies would have felt it necessary to smear her name in recalling her. “There’s a question as to why the kind of campaign to get me out of Ukraine happened because all the president has to do is say he wants a different ambassador.” |
| Yovanovitch added: “In my line of work ... all we have is our reputation, and so this has been a very painful period.” | Yovanovitch added: “In my line of work ... all we have is our reputation, and so this has been a very painful period.” |
| Representative Mike Turner, a Republican of Ohio, attempted to cut off Maria Yovanovitch as the longtime diplomat was trying to answer his questions about the Trump administration’s Ukraine policy. | Representative Mike Turner, a Republican of Ohio, attempted to cut off Maria Yovanovitch as the longtime diplomat was trying to answer his questions about the Trump administration’s Ukraine policy. |
| Yovanovitch was attempting to offer more context to her answer about Gordon Sondland’s unusual portfolio as US ambassador to the EU, and chairman Adam Schiff was encouraging Turner to allow the former ambassador the opportunity to speak. | Yovanovitch was attempting to offer more context to her answer about Gordon Sondland’s unusual portfolio as US ambassador to the EU, and chairman Adam Schiff was encouraging Turner to allow the former ambassador the opportunity to speak. |
| Indicating his diminishing time, Turner pointed to Yovanovitch and said, “Not on my time, you’re done.” The longtime diplomat raised her eyebrows in response. | Indicating his diminishing time, Turner pointed to Yovanovitch and said, “Not on my time, you’re done.” The longtime diplomat raised her eyebrows in response. |
| When given the chance to elaborate, Yovanovitch said, “It is unusual to name the US Ambassador to the EU to be responsible for all aspects of Ukraine.” | When given the chance to elaborate, Yovanovitch said, “It is unusual to name the US Ambassador to the EU to be responsible for all aspects of Ukraine.” |
| Asked by Democratic representative Terri Sewell whether she was a “never Trumper,” Maria Yovanovitch said she was not and noted her decades of foreign service experience working for both Republican and Democratic presidents. | Asked by Democratic representative Terri Sewell whether she was a “never Trumper,” Maria Yovanovitch said she was not and noted her decades of foreign service experience working for both Republican and Democratic presidents. |
| The longtime diplomat added that she believed the smear campaign against her could have a “chilling effect” on morale at the state department. | The longtime diplomat added that she believed the smear campaign against her could have a “chilling effect” on morale at the state department. |
| The White House has just issued a statement denying that Trump’s tweet smearing the reputation of Maria Yovanovitch as she testified in the impeachment inquiry amounted to witness intimidation. | The White House has just issued a statement denying that Trump’s tweet smearing the reputation of Maria Yovanovitch as she testified in the impeachment inquiry amounted to witness intimidation. |
| “The tweet was not witness intimidation, it was simply the President’s opinion, which he is entitled to,” said White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. | “The tweet was not witness intimidation, it was simply the President’s opinion, which he is entitled to,” said White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. |
| She went on to slam the inquiry as a whole: “There is less due process in this hearing than any such event in the history of our country. It’s a true disgrace.” | She went on to slam the inquiry as a whole: “There is less due process in this hearing than any such event in the history of our country. It’s a true disgrace.” |
| The hearing has moved on to rounds of five-minute questioning from each member of the House intelligence committee, and Devin Nunes yielded to Elise Stefanik (which is allowed during this portion of the hearing). | The hearing has moved on to rounds of five-minute questioning from each member of the House intelligence committee, and Devin Nunes yielded to Elise Stefanik (which is allowed during this portion of the hearing). |
| Stefanik, the only Republican woman on the House intelligence committee, used her time to resuscitate corruption allegations against the Bidens, which have been thoroughly debunked. | Stefanik, the only Republican woman on the House intelligence committee, used her time to resuscitate corruption allegations against the Bidens, which have been thoroughly debunked. |
| Maria Yovanovitch just delivered a memorable quote in response to Republican counsel Steve Castor’s line of questioning that will likely be replayed many times on cable news. | Maria Yovanovitch just delivered a memorable quote in response to Republican counsel Steve Castor’s line of questioning that will likely be replayed many times on cable news. |
| Castro was dubiously trying to argue that a senior Ukrainian official’s Twitter criticisms of Trump indicated that the country was “out to get him.” | Castro was dubiously trying to argue that a senior Ukrainian official’s Twitter criticisms of Trump indicated that the country was “out to get him.” |
| “Sometimes that happens on social media,” Yovanovitch replied, prompting laughter from those gathered in the hearing room. | “Sometimes that happens on social media,” Yovanovitch replied, prompting laughter from those gathered in the hearing room. |
| Steny Hoyer, the Democratic House majority leader, called on “every member of Congress” to criticize Trump for his “witness intimidation” after the president smeared the reputation of Maria Yovanovitch as the longtime diplomat testified in the impeachment hearing. | Steny Hoyer, the Democratic House majority leader, called on “every member of Congress” to criticize Trump for his “witness intimidation” after the president smeared the reputation of Maria Yovanovitch as the longtime diplomat testified in the impeachment hearing. |
| As Maria Yovanovitch continues her testimony at the public impeachment hearing, a report has emerged that federal prosecutors are probing Rudy Giulaini’s ties to Ukrainian energy projects. | As Maria Yovanovitch continues her testimony at the public impeachment hearing, a report has emerged that federal prosecutors are probing Rudy Giulaini’s ties to Ukrainian energy projects. |
| The Wall Street Journal reports: | The Wall Street Journal reports: |
| If prosecutors find that Giuliani did attempt to personally profit off Ukrainian energy interests, it would be particularly ironic given that the president’s personal lawyer has trumpeted claims that Hunter Biden’s involvement with an energy company was indicative of corruption. | If prosecutors find that Giuliani did attempt to personally profit off Ukrainian energy interests, it would be particularly ironic given that the president’s personal lawyer has trumpeted claims that Hunter Biden’s involvement with an energy company was indicative of corruption. |
| A staffer in House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office shared a tweet outlining the procedures approved by the House for public impeachment hearings, noting that every Republican on the intelligence committee received it. | A staffer in House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office shared a tweet outlining the procedures approved by the House for public impeachment hearings, noting that every Republican on the intelligence committee received it. |
| The staffer called Devin Nunes’ illegitimate attempt to yield time to another Republican committee member a “pure, disingenuous stunt.” | The staffer called Devin Nunes’ illegitimate attempt to yield time to another Republican committee member a “pure, disingenuous stunt.” |
| Asked about Trump’s tweet disparaging Maria Yovanovitch as the longtime diplomat testified at the impeachment hearing, Nancy Pelosi said she had not yet seen the tweet but noted that “witness intimidation is a crime.” | Asked about Trump’s tweet disparaging Maria Yovanovitch as the longtime diplomat testified at the impeachment hearing, Nancy Pelosi said she had not yet seen the tweet but noted that “witness intimidation is a crime.” |
| The House speaker also mocked the president when asked if the tweet was appropriate. “Appropriate and president in the same sentence? Come on. Why would we start making that judgment now?” Pelosi said. | The House speaker also mocked the president when asked if the tweet was appropriate. “Appropriate and president in the same sentence? Come on. Why would we start making that judgment now?” Pelosi said. |