Former US ambassador to Ukraine says possibility of another Trump term ‘concerns our allies’

Republicans ‘need to rethink their allegiance to the former president to rethink their brand’

A former US ambassador to Ukraine has said that the possibility of Donald Trump entering the White House once again “concerns our allies”.

Marie Yovanovitch, a key witness during Mr Trump’s first impeachment trial, was speaking to former Obama adviser David Axelrod on the Axe Files podcast.

Mr Axelrod said Mr Trump was “emboldened by his acquittal” after Democrats launched the impeachment process following revelations that Mr Trump had tried to withhold military aid to Ukraine to get them to investigate President Joe Biden and his family. Mr Biden was a potential presidential candidate at the time.

Mr Axelrod noted that Mr Trump “is still the frontrunner” for the Republican Party nomination in 2024.

“What does that mean to you? What are the stakes as far as you’re concerned of the potential of another Trump presidency?” he asked.

“Well, it concerns me, the possibility concerns me, I’ll tell you that it concerns our allies as well,” Ms Yovanovitch said.

Former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch speaks during a ceremony awarding her the Trainor Award for “Excellence in the Conduct of Diplomacy” at Georgetown University on February 12, 2020 (Getty Images)

“They don’t want to go back to that. And, you know, imagine if Trump were president right now, how he would be leading the country and the world – he wouldn’t be,” she added.

“It gives me a great concern, which is why I think each one of us has to do what we can to strengthen our democracy. And I think part of that also is going to be the January 6 committee,” she said.

“I understand that they’re going to have witnesses coming up in April. And I’m hoping that further shining the light on that conspiracy – with regard to the elections and then the January 6 insurrection – I’m hoping that that will help to convince Republicans that they need to rethink their allegiance to the former president to rethink their brand,” she added.