US President Donald Trump has attacked the former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, on Twitter, in the middle of her testimony to the impeachment inquiry. “Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad,” Mr Trump wrote. “She started off in Somalia, how did that go?”
He said it was “a US President’s absolute right” to appoint ambassadors. Replying in real time, Ms Yovanovitch called it “very intimidating”. Her response – at the invitation of hearing chairman Adam Schiff – was broadcast live during the televised testimony.
Mr Trump’s criticism came as the ambassador defended her record as a diplomat of 33 years’ standing, who had opposed corruption in Ukraine.
