One of President Trump’s least desirable traits is his love of public spats – in many cases needless and self-defeating. He did it again during the impeachment hearing with former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.
As I watched the play-by-play action – or lack of action – in the so-called impeachment inquiry, it was obvious that Trump’s team – the Republicans on the Intelligence Committee — were winning for the most part. Although you will not get that view from the east coast media propaganda machine.
In the middle of Yovanovitch’s testimony, Trump had to take to Twitter with a gratuitous tweet blasting the ambassador’s career in the diplomatic service – even as Republicans praised her past service.
The inquiry itself had little to do with the issues for possible impeachment. It was more like a job review for the reassigned ambassador. There was mostly bipartisan praise for her past diplomatic service and on a bipartisan admission that a President can remove, replace or reassign an ambassador at will. As Yovanovitch admitted, President Trump could reassign her without any public expression of purpose.
Instead, it is alleged that Yovanovitch was subjected to an alleged “smear campaign” led by former New York Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. While the smear campaign was referenced innumerable times throughout the hearing, there was virtually no specifics provided as to what was said or alleged in the so-called smear campaign.
What came across in the hearing – although not in most of the highly distorted post-hearing reporting – was that Yovanovitch was NOT a fact-based witness. She was already out of Ukraine when all the discussions of investigations and any role by the Bidens were taking place.
If her testimony had any relevancy in the current proceedings, it was arguably to Trump’s benefit. In fact, when asked if she had ANY information suggesting ANY criminal activity by Trump, she answered, “no.”
She did, however, indicate that the participation of Hunter Biden on the board of the corrupt Burisma Holdings energy company while his father was Vice President of the United States – with Ukraine as part of his portfolio — was a problem. She agreed with the earlier testimony of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent that it minimally created “an appearance of conflict-of-interest.” Since an appearance of a criminal conflict-of-interest might indicate that a crime has been committed – and the further fact that Hunter Biden was serving on a known corrupt enterprise — an investigation seems a prudent and reasonable response.
Instead, there was repeated … and repeated … praise of her past service. One member of Congress asked how she and her family “felt” about what has happened to her – pumping up the narrative of victimization. They referred to her as being “fired” when, in fact, she was reassigned to a plum position that she requested – a State Department professorship at Georgetown University.
It was obvious that Yovanovitch was on the stand solely to make Trump look bad for removing her and saying unkind things. That is a valid complaint but NOTHING to do with ANYTHING relative to impeachable offenses.
Since the second day of public testimony – like the first day – failed to lay a glove on Trump, why was he motivated to tweet in the middle of the hearing. It struck me a bit like taking out a baseball pitcher after he struck out the first six batters.
Trump’s tweet was ill-timed, inappropriate and probably wrong. By all measures, Yovanovitch had a pretty good career at State. That does not mean that she should not have been replaced. For her part, she was unhappy with the way Trump was dealing with Ukrainian matters. In turn, he had lost confidence in her.
One major fact ignored by Democrats and their friends in the media is that the newly-elected President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed his displeasure with her during the phone conversation with Trump. Zelensky said that Yovanovitch had been “working against him” during his campaign. With both leaders having lost confidence in Yovanovitch, there was little choice but to reassign her.
The major problem seems to be Trump’s going on a public attack on her. It was unnecessary. Yovanovitch was correct when she said that Trump could have simply reassigned her without making a public case of it. He certainly did not have to pile on with his tweet during her testimony. In a situation in which the Democrats were holding a weak hand in making an impeachment case, Trump slipped them a pair of aces.
This is not the first time that Trump had created a needless controversy for himself. He does it often. While he rightfully complains about the coverage he receives from the east coast media cabal, he keeps handing them more material for their bogus narratives.
It is an inexplicable bad habit that – if unchecked – just might cost him the presidency.
So, there ‘tis.
For too long, democrats went unchallenged in their over-the-top, outrageous smear, feeding frenzies against conservatives. So, now there’s a person who happens to be President, who fights back. The unsolicited advice from the peanut gallery is that one should be more presidential when occupying the Oval Office. Yet, the leftists and Trump haters also say that the President is not above the law and should be treated like an ordinary citizen. So, under unfounded attacks and outrageous smears, should not the President be able to defend himself and answer attacks as any ordinary citizen?
I took a different perspective from her testimony. Giuliani had a mission to get her out of Ukraine directed by Trump so he could proceed with his plan on the Bidens.
Discredit Yovanovitch so the plan could succeed was the goal. She had just been asked to continue until 2021 so a sudden dismissal was a surprise. The excuse was her suddenly doing a terrible job in Ukraine where she had been since 2016.
If Trump had asked her to leave instead of telling her the story could be decidedly different.
Yes, The President can and does put himself in positions that aren’t favorable but that’s him and his personality. This one man, however, has made this country so much better that the last President could ever do. He has had the Left swamper’s stay on him about everything since he took office. A person can only take so much then they start fighting back. Can you blame him? Would you not do the same?? Leave him alone! Let him finish out his Presidency and GOD help us if Killary comes in at the last minute!! She will demand to be addressed as the Queen of American. A thief, a liar, a murderer, lastly a person that allowed men to be murdered in Benghazi. She’s what we need as President in these troubled times?? No, hell no! Leave Trump alone let him run this country as he has been. He is and has been doing a good job!!
I’m a big fan of President Trump.
However, he has to learn to be more tactful.
A word to the wise is…………….
“Silence is, indeed, Golden.”
Impetuous Trump is his folly. The president, the world leader, must conduct himself with class and not create space for criticism. Let Go of frivolous matters. The president will rise above the waters when he leaves his supporters to speak on his behalf.
You are right. The only thing that could make the Trump Presidency any better than it already is, considering the many great things that he has done, would be for someone to break his twitter habit.
I totally agree, he does not know when to politely shut up and stay out of things.
Agreed. He really needs a filter. I like him and support him, but would respect him more if he just would stay off Twitter and keep some of his comments to himself. It would DEFINITELY be to his benefit. Sometimes he is his own worse enemy.
It was Schitt who broadcasted to the people and the witness in the hearings about what Trump tweeted. This is not witness tampering because the witness would not have known had Schitt not have been paying attention to twitter instead of the hearings and had he not opened his big mouth to try and make a dig at the president. As usual this is on the demoasses.
I am wondering if maybe the President for some reason feels betrayed by her, especially if the Ukrainian President was also not happy with her? It may be possible that she did something, leaked info, spread gossip, etc…or he believes she did and he is angry about it? You know; Trump is probably under a tremendous amount of pressure, frustration, is constantly attacked, and also being betrayed by his own staff. He has done many great things for this country, is working endlessly to honor the promises he made to the American people, address issues we have wanted and needed addressed, on top of being constantly attacked and put down instead of praised for what he’s accomplished. I think if this kind of stuff the House Democrats, leftists, and Trump haters were doing this non stop crap to any one of us and our family, we would be just as angry and distrustful/discouraged as he must be. This stupid impeachment B.S. is taking it’s toll on him as well as many of the American people. It’s exactly what the House wants to happen, push him to the breaking point till he either gives up and walks away, or loses his cool and gives them what they need to destroy him. He may even be feeling very pressured about trying to get everything he promised and that he wanted to accomplish done before he runs out of the time to finish it all. The American people who voted for him need to come together and stand with him. He is honoring his words to us, and we need to do the same for him. The people have the ultimate power as stated in our Constitution to oust any tyrannical entity – foreign or domestic, and we need to come together and oust these crooked Democrats – Schiff, Pelosi, Waters, Nadler, Schumer, Quinley, and all the rest of them.
Oh, God, it’s Larry Horist again, the dumbest commentator in existence. Everybody knew that Yovanovitch was out of office at the time of the July 25 phone call. She couldn’t shed any light on it. What Yovanovitch was there for was to describe her smear campaign headed by Rudy Giuiliani, plus to reveal the Ukrainians felt pressured to launch a needless investigation into the Bidens before she left Ukraine in May. She succeeded brilliantly!
Why did Trump want to have Rudy do a smear campaign on Yovanovitch to get her out of Ukraine? This was the start of the plan and clear a path for Trump’s favor.
I keep forgetting everyone is a liar except Trump.
I agree. I understand that he is angry and hurt from all these lies when he has done nothing but good. He promised to uncover corruptness in government and is doing just that, But I do wish he wouldn’t lower himself to the enemy’s level and give them ammunition to continue to go after him. Can you imagine the fear that would invade the Dems if he didn’t remark or tweet about their lying? He is a wonderful President and would hate to lose him.