House Intelligence Republican: Trump Yovanovitch tweet ‘not witness intimidation’

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that President Trump’s tweet about former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch while she testified in the impeachment inquiry last week was not witness intimidation. 

Host Jake Tapper asked Turner on CNN’s “State of the Union” if it concerned him that Yovanovitch found Trump’s tweet intimidating.

{mosads}”Along with most people, I find the president’s tweets generally unfortunate,” Turner responded, adding that he did not think it was witness intimidation. 

In his tweet on Friday, Trump wrote that “everywhere” Yovanovitch went “turned bad.”

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) during the public hearing read tweets of Trump attacking her and offered Yovanovitch a chance to respond. 

Yovanovitch during her appearance on Capitol Hill said that she found Trump’s tweets “very intimidating.” 

“It’s very intimidating,” Yovanovitch said. “I can’t speak to what the president is trying to do, but I think the effect is to be intimidating.”

Turner added on Sunday that Trump’s tweet is “certainly not impeachable,” nor criminal, and “not witness intimidation.”

“If a witness said she’s intimidated…how is it not witness intimidation?” Tapper asked. 

“She testified fully,” Turner responded. He also said the ambassador was “in no means” intimidated and prevented from testifying. 

“Just like you’re not a mind reader, I’m not a mind reader…is it not possible she held back?” Tapper asked. 

“I think you overstate Donald Trump’s powers,” Turner said. 

“I think that testimony was not inhibited,” he added.