The State Department issued a statement railing against the “unhinged” media after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo berated NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly in an expletive-laced tirade.
Pompeo quickly ended his interview with Kelly last week after she asked if he owed the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, an apology.
After ending the interview, a State Department staffer reportedly called Kelly into another room where Pompeo proceeded to yell at her, dropped some f-bombs and challenged her to find Ukraine on an unlabeled map of the world.
In a not-too-subtle act of retribution, another NPR reporter, Michele Kelemen, was booted on Monday from the press pool that is to cover Pompeo’s trip to Ukraine.
I have one question and one request:
Does Pompeo always have an unlabeled map on hand?
Will every reporter from now on open their Pompeo interviews with the same question about Yovanovitch, please?
Mary Louise Kelly on Twitter Let me just say this. We will not be intimidated.” @NPR President & CEO @johnlansing responds to statement from @SecPompeo. https://t.co/6PE5lP7iLn
Mary Louise Kelly on Twitter Here is our full interview with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It’s worth a listen. https://t.co/3BQh3Q7lWV
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