Fiona Hill says Trump mistook her for a secretary during her days as the White House's top Russia expert

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Fiona Hill, the former U.S. National Security Council official and witness for the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry into President Trump, talked about her experiences leading up to her role in the Ukraine quid-pro-quo scandal that played out earlier this year.

"Given everything that Hill knew and understood about the threats to democracy from populism and Putin’s Russia, some of her friends and colleagues were astonished when she went to work for Trump in the early months of the administration, with one accusing her of 'aiding and abetting a criminal enterprise,'" writes The Guardian's Julian Borger.

But Hill felt obligated to do what she could to help mediate the volatile relationship between the U.S. and Russia.

“What I was most worried about was the toxicity of the issue of Russia. I mean I really felt that actually that was one of the reasons why I should try to do something,” she said.

Upon being hired by the White House, KT McFarland, a Fox News host who had been made deputy national security adviser, wanted Hill by her side as she briefed Trump on matters concerning Russia.

“I think honestly, they got this idea initially that I could sit down with the president and do a bit of a spiel on Putin but it just never worked out like that,” she said. “He just wanted to get on with it himself.”

Hill describes one encounter with Trump while he was on a call with Vladimir Putin. Hill was preparing some notes for analysis when she looked up and realized everyone was looking at her. Trump wanted a press release written, and he assumed she was there to write it up.

“The president thought I was part of the executive secretariat taking notes,” she said. “He was basically saying: ‘Can she go do this?’ and I had no idea what they’re talking about. I was like a deer in the headlights, and thinking: You’re talking to me?

“It’s not like the first time I’ve been mistaken for a secretary. I’ve been mistaken for many things, believe me,” she added.

Read the full story over at The Guardian.