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| Trump impeachment hearing: Yovanovitch testifies as White House releases new transcript – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The former US ambassador to Ukraine was recalled abruptly in May despite a distinguished career as the president pushed for Kyiv to investigate his rivals | The former US ambassador to Ukraine was recalled abruptly in May despite a distinguished career as the president pushed for Kyiv to investigate his rivals |
| In her opening statement, Maria Yovanovitch criticized the Americans willing to partner with corrupt Ukrainians to orchestrate her ouster, in an apparent reference to Rudy Giuliani. | |
| “How could our system fail like this? How is it that foreign corrupt interests could manipulate our government?” Yovanovitch asked. “Such conduct undermines the U.S., exposes our friends, and widens the playing field for autocrats like President Putin.” | |
| The former US ambassador to Ukraine also denied that she had circulated a “do not prosecute” list in connection to Ukrainian corruption or that she instructed staffers to ignore Trump’s wishes, as some far-right websites alleged. | |
| Yovanovitch went on to specifically address Giuliani’s efforts to have her removed. “I do not understand Mr. Giuliani’s motives for attacking me, nor can I offer an opinion on whether he believed the allegations he spread about me,” Yovanovitch said. | |
| “What I can say is that Mr. Giuliani should have known those claims were suspect, coming as they reportedly did from individuals with questionable motives and with reason to believe that their political and financial ambitions would be stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine.” | |
| Maria Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, has been sworn in and is now delivering her opening statement to the House intelligence committee. | |
| Yovanovitch opened her statement by recounting her family’s history of fleeing the Soviet Union and her own career serving in several “hardship” posts as a diplomat. | |
| The White House said in a statement that Trump was only briefly watching today’s public impeachment hearing and would then return to work. | |
| “The President will be watching Congressman Nunes’ opening statement, but the rest of the day he will be working hard for the American people,” said Stephanie Grisham, Trump’s press secretary. | |
| However, the White House made a similar statement on Wednesday before Trump went on to repeatedly retweet messages from Republicans about the hearing. | |
| Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee, used his opening statement to criticize the impeachment inquiry and accuse his Democratic colleagues of scheming to remove Trump from office. | |
| The California Republican said Democrats were engaging in “day-long TV spectacles” to “fulfill their Watergate fantasies,” even though many members of the House Democratic caucus only came around to supporting an impeachment inquiry after the September revelation of the whistleblower complaint on the Ukraine call. | |
| Nunes also read the full transcript of Trump’s first call with the Ukrainian president, which was released just as the hearing began. Nunes’ reading of the transcript minutes late indicates that the document’s release may have been coordinated with Republicans on the House intelligence committee. | |
| Echoing Adam Schiff, Nancy Pelosi applauded the long diplomatic career of Maria Yovanovitch moments before the former US ambassador to Ukraine was set to start testifying in the second public impeachment hearing. | |
| Trump was also tweeting minutes before the hearing began, accusing Pelosi of ignoring other priorities as the impeachment inquiry advances. | |
| Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, is using his opening statement to applaud Maria Yovanovitch’s efforts to crack down on Ukrainian corruption. | Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, is using his opening statement to applaud Maria Yovanovitch’s efforts to crack down on Ukrainian corruption. |
| “In her time in Kyiv, Ambassador Yovanovitch was tough on corruption, too tough on corruption for some, and her principled stance made her enemies,” Schiff said. “As George Kent told this committee on Wednesday, ‘you can’t promote principled anti-corruption action without pissing-off corrupt people.’” | “In her time in Kyiv, Ambassador Yovanovitch was tough on corruption, too tough on corruption for some, and her principled stance made her enemies,” Schiff said. “As George Kent told this committee on Wednesday, ‘you can’t promote principled anti-corruption action without pissing-off corrupt people.’” |
| However, Schiff noted that Yovanovitch’s anti-corruption efforts also angered some of Trump’s allies, including Rudy Giuliani, as they sought investigations into the Democrats. | However, Schiff noted that Yovanovitch’s anti-corruption efforts also angered some of Trump’s allies, including Rudy Giuliani, as they sought investigations into the Democrats. |
| “Getting rid of Ambassador Yovanovitch helped set stage for an irregular channel that could pursue the two investigations that mattered so much to the President, the 2016 conspiracy theory, and most important, an investigation into the 2020 political opponent he apparently feared most, Joe Biden,” Schiff said. | “Getting rid of Ambassador Yovanovitch helped set stage for an irregular channel that could pursue the two investigations that mattered so much to the President, the 2016 conspiracy theory, and most important, an investigation into the 2020 political opponent he apparently feared most, Joe Biden,” Schiff said. |
| Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, has gaveled in the second public hearing of the impeachment inquiry against Trump. | Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, has gaveled in the second public hearing of the impeachment inquiry against Trump. |
| Schiff and the top Republican on the panel, Devin Nunes, will be allowed to make opening statements before turning things over to today’s witness, Maria Yovanovitch. | Schiff and the top Republican on the panel, Devin Nunes, will be allowed to make opening statements before turning things over to today’s witness, Maria Yovanovitch. |
| The former US ambassador to Ukraine will also be given the chance to make an opening statement before taking questions from committee lawyers and members. | The former US ambassador to Ukraine will also be given the chance to make an opening statement before taking questions from committee lawyers and members. |
| Moments before the second public impeachment hearing was set to begin, the White House released a transcript of Trump’s phone call with the Ukrainian president. | Moments before the second public impeachment hearing was set to begin, the White House released a transcript of Trump’s phone call with the Ukrainian president. |
| According to the transcript, the call was rather unremarkable, with Trump simply offering his congratulations to the newly elected president and promising to send a US representative to his inauguration. | According to the transcript, the call was rather unremarkable, with Trump simply offering his congratulations to the newly elected president and promising to send a US representative to his inauguration. |
| About 10 minutes before the next impeachment hearing was set to begin, Trump sent a tweet slamming the inquiry and calling Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco district a “disgusting Slum.” | About 10 minutes before the next impeachment hearing was set to begin, Trump sent a tweet slamming the inquiry and calling Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco district a “disgusting Slum.” |
| It has been a frequent Republican talking point that the impeachment inquiry has prevented Democrats from getting other legislative work done. However, Pelosi said yesterday that believed a deal on the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement was “imminent.” | It has been a frequent Republican talking point that the impeachment inquiry has prevented Democrats from getting other legislative work done. However, Pelosi said yesterday that believed a deal on the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement was “imminent.” |
| Maria Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, has arrived on Capitol Hill to testify in today’s public impeachment hearing. | Maria Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, has arrived on Capitol Hill to testify in today’s public impeachment hearing. |
| Yovanovitch first testified in the impeachment inquiry on Oct. 11 behind closed doors. According to her opening statement, the diplomat told impeachment investigators that she was removed from her post in Kyiv because of “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives.” | Yovanovitch first testified in the impeachment inquiry on Oct. 11 behind closed doors. According to her opening statement, the diplomat told impeachment investigators that she was removed from her post in Kyiv because of “unfounded and false claims by people with clearly questionable motives.” |
| The line to get into the House hearing room where Maria Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, will soon testify already stretches down the hallway. | The line to get into the House hearing room where Maria Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, will soon testify already stretches down the hallway. |
| Republicans on the House intelligence committee have set up their exhibits for today’s impeachment hearing, and they have added a new sign since Wednesday. It features a quote from Ukraine’s foreign minister claiming he never saw a link between US military aid and investigations into the Democrats. | Republicans on the House intelligence committee have set up their exhibits for today’s impeachment hearing, and they have added a new sign since Wednesday. It features a quote from Ukraine’s foreign minister claiming he never saw a link between US military aid and investigations into the Democrats. |
| After the first public impeachment hearing, some commentators complained that Bill Taylor and George Kent’s appearance featured few explosive moments, even though Taylor testified about a previously unknown call in which Trump asked about “the investigations” in Ukraine. | After the first public impeachment hearing, some commentators complained that Bill Taylor and George Kent’s appearance featured few explosive moments, even though Taylor testified about a previously unknown call in which Trump asked about “the investigations” in Ukraine. |
| However, it appears that past impeachment hearings have been similarly subdued. The front page of the Washington Post after the first Watergate hearings in 1973 described the event as “not exactly high drama.” | However, it appears that past impeachment hearings have been similarly subdued. The front page of the Washington Post after the first Watergate hearings in 1973 described the event as “not exactly high drama.” |
| As Capitol Hill prepares for the second public impeachment hearing, the ratings have come in for the first hearing, and they are ... lackluster. | As Capitol Hill prepares for the second public impeachment hearing, the ratings have come in for the first hearing, and they are ... lackluster. |
| Axios reports: | Axios reports: |
| However, as Axios notes, this dip in viewership may be because the impeachment hearings are expected to play out over several days, so Americans might be waiting to tune in. | However, as Axios notes, this dip in viewership may be because the impeachment hearings are expected to play out over several days, so Americans might be waiting to tune in. |
| Good morning, live blog readers! | Good morning, live blog readers! |
| And welcome to Day Two. The second public hearing in the House impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump begins at 9am ET with the testimony of Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine. | And welcome to Day Two. The second public hearing in the House impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump begins at 9am ET with the testimony of Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine. |
| Yovanovitch is a career diplomat who was recalled from her post in May, even though she was widely respected by her fellow state department employees. (For more on Yovanovitch’s long government career, read Julian Borger’s excellent profile of her from last month.) | Yovanovitch is a career diplomat who was recalled from her post in May, even though she was widely respected by her fellow state department employees. (For more on Yovanovitch’s long government career, read Julian Borger’s excellent profile of her from last month.) |
| Yovanovitch testified to impeachment investigators last month that when she was recalled in May, even deputy secretary of state John Sullivan told her she had “done nothing wrong”. The diplomat, as well as some her colleagues, contend she was the victim of a smear campaign by Rudy Giuliani. The president’s personal lawyer was reportedly dissatisfied that Yovanovitch was becoming a barrier in his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate one of Trump’s political rivals, Joe Biden. | Yovanovitch testified to impeachment investigators last month that when she was recalled in May, even deputy secretary of state John Sullivan told her she had “done nothing wrong”. The diplomat, as well as some her colleagues, contend she was the victim of a smear campaign by Rudy Giuliani. The president’s personal lawyer was reportedly dissatisfied that Yovanovitch was becoming a barrier in his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate one of Trump’s political rivals, Joe Biden. |
| In the White House memo on Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president, the commander-in-chief is quoted as calling Yovanovitch “bad news” and predicting she was “going to go through some things”. Today, the longtime civil servant will have a chance to share her side of the story with the public. | In the White House memo on Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president, the commander-in-chief is quoted as calling Yovanovitch “bad news” and predicting she was “going to go through some things”. Today, the longtime civil servant will have a chance to share her side of the story with the public. |