Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Meaningless Tape Recording of Trump calling for the firing of then U.S. Ukraine Ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch
Power Blog ^ | 01/24/2020 | Paul Mirengoff

Posted on 01/24/2020 11:47:27 AM PST by SeekAndFind

The latest impeachment related story — a non-story in my view — is about a tape recording in which President Trump (according to reports) instructed associates to fire Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. The recording apparently was made at a dinner party in April 2018 by Igor Fruman, one of Rudy Giuliani’s main Ukraine operatives (along with Lev Parnas).

Yovanovitch wasn’t fired until May 2019. Thus, there is less to this story than meets the eye.

Nor did much meet the eye to begin with. According to reports, Trump demanded that Yovanovitch be fired after he heard she was bad mouthing the president in Ukraine. “Get rid of her” and “take her out” apparently was how he put it.

A president can fire an ambassador for any reason or no reason. If the ambassador is bad mouthing the president, that’s an excellent reason.

To be sure, a wise president will want to confirm reports of the bad mouthing before he acts. In this case, Trump didn’t act at the time he first heard such a report. Yovanovitch was removed more than a year later.

Since the tape recording, as reported, does not remotely show improper conduct by Trump, some critics are spinning it in a different direction. Trump has said of Parnas “I don’t know him.” Yet, reportedly they were at the same dinner, and interacted there.

I’ve interacted with public figures at fairly small dinners. If they don’t remember me, and I’m sure most of them don’t, I’m not offended. If they say they don’t “know” me, I’m not going to say they are lying.

I don’t know if Trump is lying about whether he knows Parnas. Maybe it comes down what the meaning of “know him” in this context.

If Trump is lying, it will won’t be the first or last time. If a president could be impeached for lying, Trump should have been impeached long ago. Obama, under that standard, should have been impeached too — along with many other U.S. presidents.

The drive to impeach President Trump is about to fail. It doesn’t seem to have turned public opinion against the president. Hence the continuing need for stories like the one arising from the April 2018 recording.


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: marieyovanovitch; recording; trump; ukraine

1 posted on 01/24/2020 11:47:27 AM PST by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

How much longer are these stories going to refer to “tape recordings” when the recording was almost certainly done digitally on a digital phone or similar device. When I hear “tape recording” I can only think of 1970s Gene Hackman with his high end open reel recorders in “The Conversation”, a 1990s reporter with a battery powered Marantz cassette recorder, or possibly a 1980s businessman with a Realistic microcassette pocket recorder. Shades of Peter Brady!


2 posted on 01/24/2020 11:51:41 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

How does a recording by Igor Fruman have anything to do with Lev Parnas?


3 posted on 01/24/2020 11:53:37 AM PST by MNJohnnie (They would have abandon leftism to achieve sanity. Freeper Olog-hai)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Depends on what the meaning of “know” is.


4 posted on 01/24/2020 11:55:59 AM PST by Jim Hill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

She was NEVER FIRED. Still has cushy gubmit job.

“After being ousted as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Yovanovitch became a Senior State Department Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.[4]”


5 posted on 01/24/2020 11:58:24 AM PST by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Is this recording evidence of what is behind this impeachment? The whole idea on the part of the demoncrats is to stretch out the impeachment for as long as possible, with a steady drip-drip-drip of incriminating evidence which turns out to be nothing-burgers, but grab headlines when initially released.

Nothing would please Schiff et al more than to have Bolton et al subpeonaed with a lengthy court fight to follow. Gives them more time to drip-drip-drip.


6 posted on 01/24/2020 12:01:40 PM PST by bagman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

She was apparently following Trump administration people around and surveilling other diplomatic personnel. He shouldn’t have fired her...he should have arrested her.


7 posted on 01/24/2020 12:13:11 PM PST by livius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

No matter but if my employee was bad mouthing me in public I’d fire it’s arse!


8 posted on 01/24/2020 12:45:23 PM PST by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest of US:-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

So is it now acceptable to record ppl at dinner parties and other social gatherings? If so, I can only imagine America’s future, lol.


9 posted on 01/24/2020 1:48:09 PM PST by Prince of Space (WhereÂ’s Hunter?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
If Trump is lying, it will won’t be the first or last time.

Name three.

10 posted on 01/24/2020 1:53:38 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (A hero is a hero no matter what medal they give him. Likewise a schmuck is still a schmuck.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
They got’em now... He was doing his executive branch responsibilities..
11 posted on 01/24/2020 2:05:51 PM PST by newnhdad (Our new motto: USA, it was fun while it lasted.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson