This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
As the impeachment inquiry continues, it's clear that President Trump's penchant for drama is a double-edged sword. While some may find his antics entertaining, they also raise serious concerns about his fitness for office.
On Wednesday, the hearings were criticized for lacking 'pizazz,' but Friday's testimony from Marie L. Yovanovitch, the former American ambassador to Ukraine, was a different story. Her account was a gripping narrative of international danger, government backbiting, and threats.
Ms. Yovanovitch's testimony was a stark contrast to the more academic and theoretical tone of the previous day's hearings. She described being recalled home over concerns for her 'security' and learning that she was fired while attending a ceremony for a Ukrainian activist who was assassinated in an acid attack.
But it was President Trump's reaction to her testimony that really brought the drama. He took to Twitter to attack her, saying she would be 'going through some things.' Ms. Yovanovitch grimaced and seemed to tense up, saying the attack was 'very intimidating.'
Representative Adam Schiff seized on the tweets as evidence of the president's behavior, saying, 'As we sit here testifying, the president is attacking you on Twitter.' It was a remarkable moment, with the smartphone screen crashing into the TV screen.
The president's compulsion to surveil his TV coverage and inject himself into it is a hallmark of his reality-TV presidency. He insists on being the show's star, producer, and agitated binge-watcher.
Whether or not the president's antics will help or hurt him remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: he's going to have a hard time staying out of the spotlight.
