Former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch is no doubt sincere in her belief that President Trump has weakened U.S. relations with Ukraine to the benefit of Russia. But there’s one thing: Ambassadors don’t determine what our international relations are like. The president makes that determination, and his name is Donald Trump.
During her opening testimony in front of the House Intelligence Committee on Friday, Yovanovitch talked at great length about her harrowing life as a career foreign service officer, even describing the time she dodged bullets in Eastern Europe. I’m sure she did a fine job, but what did any of it have to do with the price of tea in China?
We’re talking about the way Trump did his job. We’re talking about the way the president of the United States spoke with a foreign leader on the phone and what he wanted out of their relationship.
Yovanovitch suggested that there was corruption at play. But so far, we haven’t seen any proof of Trump attempting to enrich himself or anyone close to him.
Yes, it looks like Trump was pissed off at Ukraine’s explicit interference in the 2016 election, which was done for the sole purpose of harming his candidacy. And he had questions about former Vice President Joe Biden’s own past relations with Ukraine.
OK, and?
Yovanovitch was free, like anyone else, to have disagreements with the president over his interactions with any foreign leader. She apparently did and is sincere in that difference of opinion.
That doesn’t legitimize the Democrats’ impeachment effort.
