US President Donald Trump has attacked the former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, on Twitter, in the middle of her testimony to the impeachment inquiry.
"Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad," Mr Trump wrote. "She started off in Somalia, how did that go?"
Asked for her response, Ms Yovanovitch called it "very intimidating".
Mr Trump later hit back, arguing his tweets were not intimidating "at all".
He told reporters he had watched part of the impeachment hearing and considered it "a disgrace".
While giving her evidence, Ms Yovanovitch was alerted to the president's criticism by hearing chairman Adam Schiff.
Responding directly to Mr Trump's tweet, in which he appeared to blame her for upheaval in Somalia, Ms Yovanovitch replied: "I don't think I have such powers, not in Mogadishu and Somalia and not in other places.
"I actually think that where I've served over the years I and others have demonstrably made things better, you know, for the US as well as for the countries that I've served in.
Her response was broadcast live during the televised hearing.
Mr Schiff, the Democratic Chairman of the Intelligence Committee overseeing the impeachment inquiry, suggested the president's tweets could be classed as witness intimidation.
The inquiry is currently investigating whether Mr Trump withheld US military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the country's new president to announce a corruption inquiry into former Vice President Joe Biden, now his rival for the US presidency.
Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing and has branded the proceedings "presidential harassment".
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