Trump blows Republicans' entire Yovanovitch hearing strategy with a single tweet


If Republicans had one goal going into the House Intelligence Committee's hearing with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, it was do not be on the attack. Democrats' strategy on Friday hinged on painting Yovanovitch as a "sympathetic victim of bullying by [Rudy] Giuliani and the president, whose decision to pull her from Ukraine helped set the stage for the campaign to pressure that country's president," The New York Times reports. Republicans, naturally, did not want to give their opponents more ammo.
And then Trump tweeted:
Trump's tweet completely undermined the Republican strategy. For one thing, the tweet made clear that he did in fact single Yovanovitch out — which is exactly what the Democrats' line of question was intended to prove. Additionally, "Republicans did not want to attack Yovanovitch personally, just to portray her as a distraction from the main events," noted The New York Times' Nicholas Fandos. What's more, the Democrats' lawyer specifically undercut Trump's line of attack by asking Yovanovitch if anyone in the State Department "ever expressed concern about your job performance," to which the former ambassador answered "no."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump's tweets also directly contradicted the White House, which had claimed earlier in the day that "the president will be watching [Republican Rep. Devin] Nunes' opening statement, but the rest of the day he will be working hard for the American people."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
June 3 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include RFK Jr. and the CDC, Elon Musk's DOGE exit, and Donald Trump versus academic freedom
-
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: the group behind Gaza's controversial new aid programme
The Explainer Deadly shootings and chaotic scenes have been reported at aid sites after US group replaced UN humanitarian organisations
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
A running list of all the celebrities Trump has pardoned
IN DEPTH Reality stars, rappers and disgraced politicians have received some of the high-profile pardons doled out by the president
-
'The pattern is similar across America'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
What's next for Elon Musk?
Today's Big Question The world's richest man has become 'disillusioned' with politics – but returning to his tech empire presents its own challenges
-
Trump's super-charged pardon push raises eyebrows and concerns
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Never shy about using his pardon ability for political leverage, Trump's spate of amnesty announcements suggests the White House is taking things to a new level