At an impeachment hearing Friday, House Democrats’ chief investigator pressed for an emotional response from former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch but came up short.
The Democrats featured Ms. Yovanovitch in the second hearing as a sympathetic character, moving to humanize the impeachment case and win over public support for ousting President Trump.
Ms. Yovanovitch said she was “devastated” when she learned that President Trump discussed her in a phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the July call, a rough transcript of which was made public in September, Mr. Trump called her “bad news” and said she would be “going through some stuff.”
“I was shocked and devastated,” said Ms. Yovanovitch. “It was a terrible moment. The person who saw me reading the transcript said the color drained from my face. I think I even had a physical reaction.”
That wasn’t enough for Daniel Goldman, the Democrats’ chief investigator for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that is conducting the hearings,
“Without upsetting you too much, I would like to show you transcripts from the call,” he said.
Excerpts from the call referring to Ms. Yovanovitch were displayed in the hearing room, including Mr. Trump’s remarks: “The former ambassador from the United States, the woman was bad news and the people she was dealing with in Ukraine were bad news. So I just want to let you know.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Ms. Yovanovitch, who was removed from her post by Mr. Trump in May and did not learn of Mr. Trump’s comments until the call transcript was made public four months later.
In her early closed-door interview with the committee, Ms. Yovanovitch reportedly became emotional.
Ms. Yovanovitch claims that she was a victim of a smear campaign and ousted as ambassador to clear the way for Mr. Trump’s effort to force Ukraine to investigate his political rival, Joseph R. Biden.
Mr. Goldman repeatedly pressed her for her reaction to the call transcript of Mr. Trump saying Ms. Yovanovitch “is going to go through some things.”
He asked her what she thought that meant.
“I dint’ know what to think but I was very concerned,” she said.
“What were you concerned about,” asked Mr. Goldman.
“It sounded like a threat,” she responded.
He then asked: “Did you feel threatened?”
“I did.”
“How so?” asked Mr. Goldman
She responded: “I really don’t know how to answer the question other than it felt like a vague threat.”
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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