In an interview on CBS’ Face The Nation program, Pelosi said that Trump “knows full well that he’s in that office way over his head and so he has to diminish everyone else.”
Pelosi’s comments come after Trump launched a Twitter attack on former U.S Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, during her impeachment inquiry testimony last week.
“Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad,” Trump tweeted.
“She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors.”
Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2019
Pelosi says Trump knows Yovanovitch’s strength and tweeted the insults “trying to undermine it.”
“Of course, presidents appoint ambassadors, but people don’t insult people, especially when they’re giving testimony before the Congress of the United States,” Pelosi continued in the interview.
“I think even his most ardent supporters have to honestly admit this is the wrong thing for the president to do,” she said.
President Trump is in over his head. Now, he is abusing his power and lashing out. That is why we must #DefendOurDemocracy. pic.twitter.com/4p9g0xBKd9
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) November 17, 2019
Some Democrats have interpreted Trump’s attack on Yovanovitch as witness tampering or as an attempt to intimidate her. The White House maintains that the comments are just his opinion and have denied it was an act of intimidation.
“The words of the president weigh a tonne. They are very significant and he should not frivolously throw out insults, but that’s what he does,” Pelosi added.
In the same interview, Pelosi went on to say the President’s actions were far worse than those of former President Richard Nixon, who resigned from office before he could be impeached.
“But it’s really a sad thing. I mean, what the President did was so much worse than even what Richard Nixon did, that at some point Richard Nixon cared about the country enough to recognize that this could not continue,” Pelosi said.