We are witnessing the death of the GOP! Old white men close to arriving to vote with a walker. Tell me where the young people are that will replace them? No people of color? No new ideas? Just a death snarl!
30
Thank you, Mary Louise Kelly!
43
In the end, when this all shake s out, Pompeo will be a disgraced ex-politician who supported a thug administation, and Mary Louise Kelly will likely continue as a respected journalist.
53
Why so sensitive Mr. P. ?
11
Me. Pompeo, your dream of being President has now gone up in smoke.
15
Didn't Pompeo say he and his wife prayed and God told him to take Trump's job offer as Sec of State? And we have the gall to call the Iranian clerics dangerous religious fanatics.
46
Ms. Kelly, you are owed an apology for this very disrespectful and very revealing behavior on Mr. Pompeo's part. You won't get one because he is an essentially inadequate person. He is definitely not a statesman. Keep up the good work with your journalism because it is extremely valuable that you are telling it like it is. I am sorry that this happened to you but these are very nasty and thuggish types you are dealing with...You must be doing something right, to get Mr. Self-Righteous as upset as you did...
30
Mary Louise Kelly is the best.
21
Look at Pompeo's face! Is that man in pain or what?
7
If you were a smug arrogant fanatical right wing bully hawk extremist with loopy Republican opinions on foreign policy, whose job it is to contain a President run amok with no ideology but instead only guided by a personal benefit mercenary approach to foreign policy, you would be testy too if you had to answer questions from an intelligent informed reporter, who was not willing to accept glib and deflective answers about the disastrous consequences of the dismantling of the Obama - Clinton - Kerry international Iran deal. And to top that, she's a woman.
39
Thank you Mary Louise! Its a shame this coward spoke to you the way he did and tried to belittle you. It's systemic of this administration.
18
Then when the president congratulates pompeo for his boorish behavior and alan dirtshowitz pats pompeo on the back, how does America look to the world, or to our children?
17
Pompeo was not just showing his disregard for journalists but to top it off, he showed his sexist good 'ole boy self and tried to humiliate and embarrass a woman.
18
Pompeo is a bully who used classic bully tactics when Ms. Kelly had the "audacity" to ask direct, difficult questions (which is her job). How he trapped her in a room, berated her, and cursed at her wreaks of a bully that was likely bullied at one point growing up. Who better than a cocksure bully to be Trump's right-hand man?
15
Ms. Kelly - Thank you for your commitment to the truth and your fearlessness in the face of misogyny, bullying, and stupid lies. We are grateful for your service!
17
God love you! as we say in Texas. In a perfect world you could have pointed out he is just a fat bloviator like his boss. Oh for the day when a person like this boob of a
man never gets to represent anyone. But that is not where we are today. I thank you for doing your job well and for having some class in the face of non-cooperation and confrontation. You’ll be well thought of years after he is a footnote in this sordid historical moment!
13
He and the rest of this administration are liars and traitors and need to be called JUST THAT. Time to stand up to these criminals.
10
Disturbing behavior Mr. Pompeo, not very Christian of you.
13
Pompeo's find Ukraine on a map "challenge" makes me wonder when he found out where it was.
12
Truth is the enemy of Trump Inc.
5
Classic cognitive dissonance. Mrs. Kelly explains exactly why press trust is at an all-time low within the first paragraph.
Journalists actually only have one job, and there is only one reason why anyone should ever be a journalist: to document or "journal" what happened. Full stop.
1
Sec. of State need to ask DOS' s IG to : i ) Investigate and clear the allegation on him , from the NPR 's reporters . ii ) IG 's report if any , should be made public , given to the media. What do you think ?
Fear, in elected and appointed officials, of those cameras and those microphones is the one, the only thing that keeps a republic from devolving and spinning into something far less.
-C
4
I find it comical that someone who views journalism as a "he said, she said" game, is now playing it in the first person herself.
Isn't she the one who said she could never tell us whether a public official, President Trump, lies since she can't get into his head.
So what either party says in this case is irrelevant, isn't it?
Perhaps NPR should fire its entire staff and just play recordings of what he/she said all day long.
Sadly, NPR's news staff incorrectly and dangerously seems to perceive that's their only responsibility anyway.
1
Ms. Kelly, I have been listening to your reporting for many years. You have well earned my respect.
The answers and reactions of our secretary of state speak to me of a person in far over their head. The unfortunate bit about that is we shall share in the fallout from his learning curve.
We are passengers on a train with an inept crew. We will all share the ramifications for a very long time.
5
Look for a trump proposal to remove all NPR funding. I heard today that the BBC is downsizing a significant amount, what a frightening development when the best of journalism loses funding
4
High on my list of personal heroes is Madeleine Albright, a truly remarkable Secretary of State. She bestrode a troubled world, speaking out with extraordinary candour, and clout.
Among her most famous quotes is this: "It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I will not be silent."
Her strength was for speaking out. But to do so with diplomacy - not decibels.
The MLK report shows that the current seat-warmer in that office isn't even in the shadow of that same ballpark. Doesn't have a clue. Would love to see how he'd cope in an interview with Maddy A !
6
It seems clear from Ms. Kelly's interview with Sec. Pompeo that he was trying to evade her questions. With other journalists, the Secretary often gets away with it. Not this time, however. Ms. Kelly kept at it and that's what he objected to. His attitude seemed to be "How dare you question me in such a manner. Don't you know who I am? Now be a good girl and go play with your dolls." Frankly, it's about time that Pompeo faced tough, relentless questioning. My only regret is that she didn't have more allotted time.
5
I am grateful to Ms. Kelly for asking the hard questions re. Iran. Pompeo was less than forthcoming and sounded as if he had NO plan. Moreover, I was greatly disturbed by Pompeo's bullying of Ms. Kelly after the interview. I could have understood had Mr. Pompeo become testy with Ms. Kelly during the interview because her questions regarding Ukraine were hard. Pompeo becoming testy would have led me to believe that he was stressed. Newsworthy, perhaps, but not scary. However, his after the interview behavior was not just unprofessional, it was actually sadistic. And the at hand empty map made me believe this was not the first incidence like this. It indicated to me that Mr. Pompeo is a disturbed person, for lack of a more precise description. A person like that has no business running anything and especially not our diplomatic corps.
4
I had to think if Mary Louise was a female, this encounter could have been much different.
Ms. Kelly:
I am on your side on this particular matter, but I have to tell you that I am not a fan of yours.
I am a devoted ATC listener, every single night. What I have witnessed (heard) on not just a consistent basis but overwhelmingly is how when you interview politicians, your personal opinions are very front and center. You don't let the person finish an answer, and you interrupt them. Your biases are all too evident just from your breathing patterns, and the "huh!" exclamations. You are an epitome of non-neutral.
A good comparison? Audie Cornish. Consistently even-handed and composed.
Ms. Kelly, you still have along way to go. Start with breathing lessons. I do *not* want to hear you inhale on the microphone. Move on from there.
Do NOT think for a moment that I am supporting Secretary Pompeo's actions. Unforgivable.
But maybe it's not 100% him.
2
My thanks to Mary Louise Kelly -- and to virtually all journalists anywhere on the spectrum of life's philosophies -- for the work she does (they do).
Here's a reminder to all that, in our own way we are all journalists and have a responsibility to ask the hard questions every day.
(Tony Benn's Five Questions for the Powerful)
"What power have you got?
"Where did you get it from?
"In whose interests do you use it?
"To whom are you accountable?
"How do we get rid of you?"
3
As a former journalist myself, I admire Ms. Kelly's intelligence, focus, and integrity. Thank you for standing up for the crumbling democracy in this country. Pompeo has no credibility left after he became Trump's guard dog, and his lack of preparation for a planned interview with a journalist of Ms. Kelly's caliber speaks volumes. This administration is inept, corrupt, and unethical, and their hubris knows no bounds. This is why freedom of the press needs to be protected at all costs. Thank you, Ms. Kelly.
3
I am a former daily journalist who taught journalism. Such an experienced journalist as Mary Louise Kelly would be unlikely to agree to an off-the-record conversation with a source she is interviewing on the record. Ms. Kelly would remember if she agreed to put the Ukraine conversation off the record. She says she did not. The Secretary's anger may be real but is misplaced. It sounds like someone on his staff may have dropped the ball when going over the ground rules with Ms. Kelly or communicating the rules to the Secretary. Pompeo thought the second conversation was off the record when Kelly understood it was not. The result was a misunderstanding that became news when the Secretary blew up.
1
Hard if not impossible to be impressed by the quiet tone Mary Louise Kelly maintained during the recorded part of her encounter with the evasive and later, vulgar-tongued Mike Pompeo. She brought out the very worst in him and he exposed his shortcomings by cursing, bullying, threatening and attempting to humiliate her with his blank map of Europe.
You'd think a man of the world would know better. I wonder how The Very Stable Genius in the White House would have fared in being asked to point out Ukraine on a blank map. I'm still searching for the Tallahassee Trail myself.
2
“...which has been overshadowed by Mr. Pompeo’s subsequently swearing at me, calling me a liar and challenging me to find Ukraine on an unmarked map.”
I wonder how many of the 202 sovereign nations on an unmarked world map President Trump could correctly label?
How would he react to someone swearing at him and calling him a liar in a one-on-one interview?
Not only only does Mr. Trump frequently behave in a distinctly unpresidential manner. Over the past three years many of the officials whom he appointed, and the Republican-controlled senate confirmed, have exhibited behavior completely out of keeping with the office they hold.
Cabinet officials and cabinet-level officials should ALWAYS maintain the dignity of their office.
2
A life-long acquaintance recently surpirsed me by declaring, “The only two sources of truth left in this country are the Holy Bible and Fox News. Everything else is FAKE NEWS.”
When I listed a number of major daily newspapers, news magazines, and national televised news services, he growled, “All fake. All lies. Every one of them.”
I didn’t need to ask where he got the idea he so angrily expressed.
The president’s impeachment defense attorneys are arguing that the president is guilty of nothing, that he was acting in our national interests.
I fully understand that neither of the articles of impeachment are directly related to Trump’s problems with the media. Still, it’s worth considering whether a president who declares that America’s mainsteam media provides the public with nothing but lies, is working for the greater good. Trump has gone so far as to publicly term nearly all journalists, “enemies of the people.”
How can this behavior possibly be twisted into a case of, “acting in the interests of the American people?”
It seems to me destructive, divisive and self-serving to our frequently dishonest Chief Executive.
4
Another Trump term and female journalists will be required to take pregnancy tests.
1
I expect the hard and persistent questions. I am looking for information to help me analyze and think creatively. Jim Lehr and Gwen Ifill were terrific and one of the many reasons I watch PBS. Freedom of the Press is one of the principles that separate a democratic state from a dictatorship.
The cancellation of a NPR reporter by State Department for,
what looks like Mary L. Kelly, is childish and demeaning to our democracy.
2
Mary Louise Kelly you are to be congratulated for a first class interview concerning one of the most vital issues facing the U.S. today. Keep up the good work.
2
Mary Louise Kelly's account of her meeting with Mike Pompeo underscores what a handicap he is to American diplomacy. There is nothing in his background to suggest that he knows any more than Trump does about the history of the Middle East, or of Iran in particular. So ignorance and misogyny seem to be major characteristics of Trump's presidency and of his minions.
4
There is a common and critical defect in these men — Pompeo, Trump, Kavanaugh, Graham et al — who when confronted with a perceived disloyalty or insult respond with a destructive kind of blind and bullying schoolboy energy. Worse though was how Trump's praise of Pompeo's tantrum was met with a room of raucous laughter. It was horrible to listen to. Their outsized egos must be masking a puny sense of worth, and the louder and more awful and bullying they are, the more they get their way — to absolute zero ramifications.
6
Thank goodness there are still some journalists who ask tough questions, many more will be needed if the current regime is re-elected. What is it with these thin-skinned, immature, entitled Republicans. They are employed by Americans, not lord and master over them. It is galling, horrifying, and sickening to witness hubris (his and many others) becoming an acceptable norm in a country with democratic ideals and a free press.
3
I think American journalists should be much more aggressive in not letting sources get away with not answering questions. The BBC, more example, is much better at that - they're respectful, but they insist on answers. Reporters should never let a lie stand unchallenged. Succinct follow-up questions are critical to getting answers. Mary Louise was much better than most political journalists in pursuing an answer, and she was very professional. But I totally disagree with her complying with that stupid stunt with the map. She should have laughed that off. By even engaging with Pompeo on that, she weakened her professionalism. Never allow a source to control the interview, or use manipulative tactics to try to put a reporter on the defensive. (Reporters are there to hold government to account, not the other way around.) And the question "do you think you owe an apology?" is one of the most pointless, empty questions that journalists ask. How about, "Critics say you . . . Please tell us how you would defend that accusation."
Dear Ms. Kelly,
There is no institution I support more than our free press, speaking--and asking--truth from those in power. Pompous Mike Pompeo is another of Trump's bullies. Thank you for calling attention to this small-minded vindictive man. To see him sully the office of Sec'y. of State is infuriating. Keep up the good work!
So interesting that Ms. Kelly interviewed both the U.S. and Iran counterparts - foreign minister and secretary of state. Seems like one of the counterparts wants to be publicly known as a blusterer and a bully.
This wasn't an oversight on Pompeo's side that the interview wasn't off the record. The bully Pompeo couldn't pass on the opportunity to insult a woman and NPR at the same time and score two points with the Bully in Chief.
1
Women everywhere recognize that deep smoldering burn when "one of our own" experiences misogyny and man 'splaining. To have this disrespect come from the executive branch of a tax payer funded government and then publicly celebrated is tragic.
2
An entire administration of B-movie wannabe gangsters and thugs. And this is what the American people voted for? And want to re=elect? We can do better. We need to.
My wife and I have a method of identifying people who work for Trump. They are 'Steak and Bourbon Men'. It is worn on their faces. They are smug and gleefully violent. Anti female and definitely anti-children. Trump gives them leave to be themselves after years of 'political correctness'. They are patriarchs drunk driving the bus off a cliff.
4
I can find Ukraine on an unmarked map.
We aren’t all edjits like you think Mr. Pompeo.
To work for 45, the impeached, amoral, lying, malignant narcissist, a part, possibly a large part, of one’s soul is necessarily destroyed. Can’t wait for the feeling of relief, of having an ethical president of great integrity in the White House who will unite the world to address climate change with us. Of knowing I will save $15,000 a year under ObamaCare, which I send to Anthem for nothing but stress in return. ::closing eyes and letting it sink in:: FeelTheBern
2
Yes, journalists are supposed to ask tough questions, but also able to handle tough responses without whining.
Smells like a clear setup in order to appease Pompeo’s boss, showing he’s a’team player’ and equally capable of humiliating the press. It’s even better to bash a female from PBS. Breitbart and similar misogynist groups are smiling, as is Vladimir P.
AND SHE PERSISTED! Keep it up Ms. Kelly. Pompeo just showed himself to be the bully that he is.
6
Pompeo is woefully unfit for his job, as are most of the people in the Trump Administration, including the president. Pompeo proves it every time he opens his mouth. He's a sad, blustering, power-hungry little man who impresses nobody but his boss.
I think Pompeo woke up, looked around and realized he’d taken a swan dive into a cesspool when he joined the trump administration. Being too proud and arrogant to cut bait and run, he decided to take on the persona of the tough hombre he works for. Sad mike, very sad.
Like his namesake, the Roman city of Pompei, may he be buried by the ashes of history. Sooner rather than later.
3
Pompeo would never have pulled that blank map stunt on a man.
5
It’s interesting that Iran’s foreign minister could handle these questions but that our Secretary of State could not. Our government is being run by giant babies.
2
Another proud moment for the GOP
Aspiring to make the USA a third world banana republic petty dictatorship.
1
Could Pompeo have been a bigger toad.
2
How about tone-deaf, does that bother you? Rude? Aggressive? Also, are you being honest here?
I pray that this despicable so-called administration, this group of bullies and liars, is voted out of office in November!
2
How can any American, with an ounce of decency excuse or support Mike Pompeo? He sullied and demeaned the Office of the Secretary of States of the United States of America!
He verbally abuses and bullied a lady, Ms. Kelly! He took her into his off and shouted profanities at her, forced her to point to Ukraine on a map! Demeaning and ....misogynistic behavior. But THIS is a-okay with Republicans who see a bully as a “strong leader.” Pathetic.
Mike Pompeo, I DO care about the Ukraine! The Ukraine is fighting against Putin, who wants nothing more than to weaken and dismantle our Constitutional republic and trash our democracy!
3
Mike Pompeo demonstrates clearly that it is possible for an uncouth imbecile to graduate from West Point and Harvard and rise to one of the highest office in the United States government.
3
"Trump and his childlike minions" ... Seriously?? In merely three plus years, the shameless and crass "Trump and his evil minions" have imposed their low standards on decency, respectability, morality, honesty and civility to just blah blah blah ... no big deal! Will someone remind the likes of Pompeo that life does go on after Trump is GONG, and their "infamous behavior" WILL stay with them in eternity!
Shame on Pompeo!
1
Pompeo had a reason ton lie..you did not!
Pompeo will be in the same character category as Trump. Simply said: A pathetic liar who has done more to impede democracy and support it.
Pompeo is a national disgrace!
So Dershowitz gave Pompeo a pat on the back. I think he has disgraced himself by joining this bunch of hoodlums to cover up for the accusations of sexual molestations of young girls. I believe the girl. Wouldn't put it past him.
1
Journalists are our friends.
Wow. You site were easy on Pompeo given what he said about you. Let it out! We all know he is just another Trumped up liar!
I hope they have Pompeo's size in an orange jump suit.
1
Ms. Kelly you weren't interviewing the Sect. of State, you were interviewing a thug, a bab man for Trump. Number one in his class at West Point? Yeah right! That must have been a class of liars and miss-fits as he is.
You are the reason I support, with money, PBS. Thank you and God Bless.
1
The difference between NPR's Mary Louise Kelly and Pompeo is crystal clear:
Mary Louise Kelly is a professional and a patriot.
Pompeo is an inept, unpatriotic president's poodle.
3
My take on this is that there is an overwhelming element of misogyny in Pompeo’s childish meltdown. It seems to me he is more upset that a “girl” has challenged him to give an honest answer more than anything else.
He has been playing this game long enough to know when a person in power gives a non-responsive answer that a more pointed question is sure to follow. The fact that a “girl” had the “manhood” to be tough made him cry. And once you make a bully cry, he has to call you all sorts of names, including liar.
1
Pompeo Is a very good match with Trump, authoritarian ,and dumb ,I won’t give you an answer because I don’t have one ,
what ever trump says goes, questions about our country
Are not to be asked, you promised not to ask me those ,
You’re stupid ,do you work for the DNC? You can’t Find Ukraine on the map!
this blubbering ,Ninconpoop,is in charge of WHAT?
Mike Pompeo is of a piece with Trump, Pence, Giuliani and the rest of the liars. Like most Americans, I'm really sick of the right wing's media circus, media manipulation, endless lies and moving of the goalposts. Congratulations to you and NPR for doing your job, showing your intelligence and underscoring what a jerk this guy is.
2
KELLY: How do you stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon?
POMPEO: We’ll stop them.
KELLY: How? Sanctions?
POMPEO: We’ll stop them.
The secretary of state is an idiot.
It has remained lamentable Pompeo has chosen a bellicose path in his encounters with the press, following, essentially, the footsteps of Trump. His proverbial dudgeon has resulted in philippics aimed at the reporter, if faced with questions that make him literally writhe.
His latest victim, Mary Louise Kelly is quite erudite, Harvard and Oxford trained reporter, and the F bombs he lobbed at her seemed rather craven. Instead of fessing up to his inadequacies, he hurled obscene insults at her, and that was quite unchivalrous.
He continued to present his gasconading claims of due diligence in his care for his staff. It still has remained very much unsubstantiated to date, much to the chagrin of every neutral observer.
My thoughts are that Mary Louise Kelly is a hero and my thoughts about Mike Pompeo are unprintable.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly, for all that you do to keep us informed, despite this administration's best attempts to thwart you and their shameful and abusive behavior. Please keep doing what you are doing. You are one of the reasons I am a long time NPR supporter.
Snooze.
A good reporter is invariably a bore. Like a good referree.
Pompeo is a bully and liar like his boss.
1
Now that Pompeo has introduced the world map without names phenomenon to the discourse, it should be acceptable to present this test to Donald John. It's a good test. I mean the Commander in Chief should know where the countries of the world are situated. Remember when he thought the air craft carrier was steaming into Korean waters when it was stuck in Sydney? Most people would expect Trump IMHO to fail miserably. I am confident that I would easily defeat him in a country location contest. It's a good test. Expose the President to it. He is an ignorant man. There is always some one thing the ignorant man knows. To the ignorant man that is the only thing worth knowing. It fills the ignorant man's universe; I am paraphrasing Joseph Conrad.
The one thing that Trump knows, that fills his universe, is how racists think. He is an expert; not so much where all the S hole countries are. Thank you Mr Pompeo for introducing your excellent test.
You are reasonable, rational, professional. This administration does not take kindly to that kind of behavior...
Pompeo is a bully, misogynist, and a calculated liar - all the hiring requirements for Trump's inner circle. They only want Fox journalists' soft ball questions that are more praise than inquiry. Soldier on NPR & Ms. Kelly, continue to show them what journalism is, and Fox can show what it is not. I have to say this was Roger Ailes style ambush, get them in a room alone and curse them out, bully and intimidate. Fortunately, she is made of stronger stuff. Each day a new low for the President's "team."
There is only one news organization that gets any respect from this administration, and you guessed it. Fox News.
All other's are viewed as the enemy.
The Trump administration and all its minions are the 'fifth risk' in real time: the people who are supposed to be in charge don't know anything, don't read, can't do their jobs, and resent being held accountable.
You thought Hurricane Katrina was a mess: now the entire country is now at the mercy of low-intellect protofascist buffoons who think swearing at journalists will get them off the hook. God help us.
3
Go back and look at the cast of the Sopranos. Then put people in this administration in those roles...
So, treating a reporter the same way the reporter treats the person being interviewed, (with disrespect) is not allowed?
Probably the reason that he challenged Ms. Kelly to find Ukraine on the map is because he just learned where it was 15 minutes before the news conference.
come on grow up, he called me a liar, who cares ??? no one we have become a society of victims. my GOD read a good history book and find out what our forefathers endured for us
You lost your plane rides, Ms Kelly.
Learn to treat the Secretary of State with a tad more respect.
Sadly Mr Mike Pompeo has been quickly learning “ how to bully anyone “ from his master in the White House .
2
Keep up your great work.
What bothers her is that he refused to clearly answer her question. A question posed to get specific details on how the administration is countering Iran. This is something no one is going to give a direct answer to because it would tip our hand on any possible response. Pompeo's response was appropriate. What is inappropriate is the whining this journalist has engaged in and to portray herself as a victim. Grow up. The world's a dangerous place and the fact you got your feelings hurt is irrelevant.
Pompeo, Trump toady at Foggy Bottom.
1
Trump surrounds himself with people like himself--male, overfed, white, entitled, self-congratulatory, chauvinistic bullies.
When can we be done with this club? Ms Kelly got this treatment because she is female, not because she doesn't know her job. Thank god he didn't grab her by anything.
3
The free press is probably the only founding concept in the current government the founders would look upon kindly.
6
Speaking truth to power os the American way. What we are seeing from the Trump "Familia"..., is an attempt to stop that from happening. They need to understand that the majority of us see the truth as the key to our Democracy and our tolerance for bullies has limits. We expect the trurh to win. If it continues to be seen as an annoyence and avoided, our voice is our vote. You have been warned. Thank you NPR for doing such a good job. Respect.
16
Well done. Please stay true to the cause and keep up the good work.
13
Is this really the best we can expect from a U.S. Secretary of State? This is what Pompeo's "diplomacy" looks like? He's really not good at his job, is he?
14
This is why I donate to NPR & PBS every year.
19
Thank you, Mary Louise Kelly. I have long admired your intelligence and calm, straightforward demeanor. Sadly, I have not found any of those things to admire in Mr. Pompeo. I was moved to listen to the BBC interview with you in Iran when you told about getting knocked over and how an Iranian helped you up. Keep up the good work for the sake of all humanity.
15
It was extraordinarily brave to travel to Iran -- you risked your life purely for the sake of finding truth. I heard your interviews in Iran and in the U.S., and was reassured that you persisted when you did not receive answers (even though sometimes answers never came).
You surely know that you are a hero, and will inspire other journalists. I hope you can ignore the noise of the bullies.
9
Such an utter discgrace of diplomacy from a diplomat.
9
“We’ve been engaged in deep diplomatic efforts since the first day of the Trump administration.”
When Pompeo says this, he means Trump and his personal grooms like Pompeo, Barr and Guiliani have been talking to each other and Putin. Meanwhile they lob molotov cocktails at our allies, news media, Iran and a few other choice scapegoats. They fired or sidelined all of our diplomats.
8
Pompeo's uninformative, petulant performance only reinforces what we know to be the truth about Impeached President Trump's appointees. Their purposes are only to echo Trump's positions and ramblings (many of which are uninformed at best, dangerous at worst), and not to give deeper, thoughtful responses to journalists' questions. Mr Pompeo and Trump's other cabinet hand puppets are addicted to their power and status, and as a matter of self-preservation for their future aspirations, are incapable of honest work in the public interest. History will not be kind to them. They are doomed to wallow in legacies of disgrace.
10
I am truly hoping there is a complete and utter reckoning with all of these people. One thing is clear: Trump is the anti-Midas. Everything he touches he destroys. Including himself at the end.
This is what you get when you play with Russian mobsters.
9
Why are you surprised Ms. Kelly. This administration has acted like this from the beginning. What did you expect, the truth?
6
Listen up.
This dismissive arrogance and anti-democracy behavior oozing from everyone in this administration will get MUCH worse if they get a second term with Trump.
I can even envision violent retribution against those they dislike as they take an election victory to signal they have a free hand. They have some unstable people in their camp.
Whomever is the major party candidate against Trump must be voted for.
You better understand what's at stake here.
14
This administration has shown little regard for journalists who try to ask pressing questions. I know from listening to Mary Louise on NPR what an exceptional & thoughtful correspondent she is. I'm glad she didn't back down. We all want transparency & deserve to have meaningful answers. We deserve better from a Secretary of State.
9
The attacks of #FakePOTUS45 on journalists and the media he dislikes is a disease that's spreading to his cabinet members. IMHO, it's more dangerous a virus than anything coming from China.
What next? Lies about being a threat to national security that lead to arrest? Step by mendacious step.
4
(In regards to Pompeo "gaslighting" Mary Louise for mistakenly identifying Bangladesh for Ukraine...)
Pompeo may be confused about his map ...it might be the same map Trump used to show the hurricane was hitting Alabama ....in contrast to what the meteorologists/scientists were saying.
If Pompeo was 1st in his class at West Point I think they might be embarrassed at his sharing this with the public.
8
If Mr. Pompeo is so Evangelical,
why would he insult a grown woman for simply doing her job,
and also paying taxes,
which provide for his flamboyant lifestyle.
6
We are with you, Mary Louise. Being called a liar by a member of the Trump entourage should be a badge of respect. It is a cult that consistently engages in deception and projection. The cult leader and followers regularly call others corrupt, liars, etc., when they are the ones who are guilty. They are true masters of the self-own. This is just one more example. Keep up the good work.
8
Worse than his treatment of Ms. Kelly were the bows he took for his petulant behavior. With the President praising his rudeness Mr. Pompeo sat there with a satisfied smile as though he had earned anyone's respect. He got an attaboy pat on the back from the always attention seeking Alan Dershowitz.
The entire assembly guffawed and chortled on cue as usual when the President made one of his seriously unfunny jokes.
I wish Ms. Kelly had wagered $1,000 on her ability to rise to
his geographic challenge.
7
Brava, MLK! Now, how about 10 minutes with Barr?
5
Thank you for your work Mary Louise Kelly! I am very impressed.
10
And now it appears that they have dropped another NPR reporter from an upcoming trip.
Is this the beginning of the new Enemies List?
11
Being a NEWS journalist, as Ms. Kelly claims to be, means keeping your OPINIONS to yourself.
Ms. Kelly was not asking questions, she was picking a fight, and she looked foolish doing it.
You report, we analyze.
How does a publicly funded organization, like NPR, get to choose sides and present such a blatantly biased viewpoint?
Watch them.
They sit around and plot to get rid of the President.
That's not news, that's proselytizing.
1
This is just another lesson in the old journalist playbook to keep an audio recorder running in your pocket at all times. Had she done that she could be quoting him now in an accurate representation of the on the record meeting. We live in a media world and journalists should be recording their conversations at all times. It is easy to do and it will allow journalists to defend their reputation when attacked like Kelly was. Maybe she will remember next time...
1
A race to the bottom! Banana Republics have reached the sublime state - on are on track to reach the blissful state.
3
The Secretary of State calling someone else a liar is eerily reminiscent of Donald Trump‘s behavior. “Monkey see monkey do” is the modus operandi of the day with this miserable crew of neofascists.Desecrating the rule of law as well as our trusted institutions , seems to be the new fad in this administration, but the price that they will pay eventually will be considerable.
It doesn’t matter anymore if Pompeo comes from West Point, or from west of an apparent line of reason and conscience.
In the final analysis actions speak louder than words and these actions of the Secretary of State are each day ,more and more resembling our deranged president.
3
Secretary Pompeo, once again, showed his class.
3
First Ammendment - freedom of the press, among others.
Only dictators fear an informed public - free to gather information, to think and act on their knowledge.
Free to reject arrogant members of this administration who probably hate the First Ammendment and what it affords a free people.
Free to reject!
4
Attention American Women, we got the vote exactly 100 years ago.
Blatant misogyny on the part of Pompeo and Trump must be stopped.
Let's use the power of our vote to bring down Trump and Pompeo and all the Republicans! WOMEN VOTE.
7
Pompeo is much closer to Ribbentrop than Marshall.
2
Seems to me that the better, more newsworthy question for Ms Kelly to have asked would have been Why was ambassador Yovanovitch not better supported by her department when she was unfairly attacked? Whether Mr Pompeo felt that he owed her an apology is not news about which I care; on the contrary a seasoned reporter with any emotional intelligence would have avoided a question that is obviously provocative. And very removed from her previously stated topic focus of Iran
Ms. Kelly, you’re more of an American patriot than Pompeo will ever be. You believe in discourse that seeks to uncover the truth. He seeks only to hide it. You are respectable and decent. He is a pompous bully. I am more proud of you that I would ever be of Pompeo. His “first in his class” credentials at West Point and his prestigious Secretary of State title mean nothing because of his disrespect for others and flagrant disregard for the truth. Keep on doing what you are doing. I and many other Americans are counting on you to continue your heroic and incredibly important work.
9
The map was an obvious setup. Pompeo didn't quickly draw it in between gaps in Kelly's interview. He has it at the ready to intimidate and belittle.
Any troops he ever commanded are deeply fortunate that they never had to go into battle led by this Pompeo as Captain Queeq.
3
Just donated to NPR in Mary Louise Kelly's honor.
7
I heard the interviews with the Iranian Foreign Minister Rouhani and Sec Pompeo.
Not only was Rouhani more polite he was also more forthcoming.
I have never been more embarrassed and outraged by the treatment you received by Sec Pompeo.
Despicable and mean spirited
5
Pompeo is an arrogant man who hasn’t got any self respect. He’s a Secretary of State with no coherent foreign policy to promote nor with which to work but he walks around pretending that he’s got it all under control. Trump is lost in a world that he cannot comprehend but he sloughs off people who know and let him know like uncomfortable distractions instead of learning from them. Pompeo remains because he is willing to pretend Trump knows what he’s doing.
6
Ms Kelly,
Thank you so much for your journalism. I am disgusted and angry at Pompeo for his ridiculous Trump pleasing behavior. You are a decent human being, a true patriot and journalist. Thank you.
Sec. Pompeo has a history of misogynistic behavior. He is a sad case of a human being and he shouldn't be in that office as there are hundreds of decent Americans who can do a much better job.
He keeps putting Iran down. Well Mr. Zarif comes off as a lot more decent and civilized than this Trump sycophant.
3
Everyone is entitled to have a rough day. Imagine every day having nuclear war at stake and having the fate of so many lives, nations, a President and an ongoing impeachment trial and unleashed prosecutors and hangers-on conducting politically-motivated assignments yet representing your diplomatic authority abroad and no wonder Pompeo would easily lose his cool. His contempt and fake restraint at lashing out is apparent in his very look at each press conference. It is likely all he can do not to reach down and toss a loafer at the nearest over-eager reporter. Thank you, Mary Luise Kelly, for allowing this wound-up diplomatic matryoshka to blow off some of his considerable steam. And as he was less than forthcoming and diplomatic with you, that reveals his ineptitude in carrying American interests abroad. If that attack on you prevented war you have, in fact, done an admirable public service to your country, and are a true patriot and credit to your profession.
2
This Pompeo incident, when he says the American public doesnt care about Ukraine - reminds me of a passage in WarrenChristopher's memoir of his years as Sec.State. He said it was very hard to get Bill Clinton's ear on matters of importance and Slick Willy had explained it as "the American public doesn't care about foreign affairs".
Late in his second term Clinton grasped for his post Monica legacy with a so called "risky" sally into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which had taken a pacific turn after the Oslo accords early in the 90s on the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. The rather bad effort did nothing more than end the Oslo accords and less than a year later the World Trade Center came down. Who cares about foreign affairs, right?
It is becoming increasingly obvious that foreign affairs needs more scrutiny than provided for in the Constitution, written way before the time when a billion dollars can conceivably turn up without further into the account controlled by the family of the president of the US.
Instead of more scrutiny, the present administration has decided no scrutiny at all is desirable and has told its officers to ignore summons to appear on Capitol Hill.
I absolutely love this article. To anyone who has the ridiculous impression that women are more emotional than men:
Temper tantrums... meltdowns... raging... screaming... lashing out... storming out of a room... having a stroke whenever being questioned.. when your ego isn't being coddled...when not getting your own way... when not being permitted to control other people...
Sounds pretty emotional to me.
3
if only the media consumed by most americans were as informed and brave as you.
3
Scary to think we have reached this point. Where black is white, anything the President does is effectively in the nation's best interest, and truth is false.
2
Just for starters: Kelly grad - magna cum laude from Harvard University
In 1995, she completed her master's in European studies at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
Ms. Kelly is allowed to respectfully ask the tough questions!
It is Mr. Pompeo's job to respectfully answer questions that he regards, at best don't compromise national security or that of our allies!
The question Ms Kelly put to Mr. Pompeo was a personal one-his allegiance to his own staff!
Clearly, Mr. Pompeo- felt personally challenged and perhaps-checkmated!
Mr. Pompeo lost control!
Unfortunately, the game being played -wasn't a game he had control over.
Mr. Pompeo was simply a pawn in Trump's game of political chess!
Mr. Pompeo, may have thought himself better than just pawn in Trump's game of political chess!
Perhaps a Rook, knight or even a Bishop!
But in the end Mr. Pompeo is, was , nothing but a Pawn. Now! He found himself toppled in Trump's poorly played political game of chess by a press reporter.
3
Ms. Kelly's sharp, full-court press of Secretary Pompeo shows why journalism needs to shakeup the status quo old boys club that persists in journalism.
Kelly refused to be bullied by one of the biggest bully's in the Trump administration.
As I listened to her interview I was saying to myself, "Yes, Mary Louse, push him. Push him." I was rooting for her as she jabbed back at Pompeo, refusing to let him off the hook.
Pompeo was dismissive of Kelly, dispatching his female aide to call Kelly into the principal's office for a private shellacking. Kelly was having none of that. She stood up to the bully.
In the last three years the ONLY other reporters I have seen challenge this administration, aside from Kelly, were Jeff Mason of Reuters and Brian Karem of the Maryland Sentinel.
Brava Mary Louise, Brava!!!
4
In all the despair that this causes, I like looking from time to time, to what the future could hold for us instead. Just as important as voting-in ethical leadership, is understanding endless growth may actually be hurting our economy—and our planet. Please consider the work of economist Kate Raworth, who makes a compelling case for “doughnut economics”: an alternative way to look at the economic systems ruling our societies and imagine a sustainable future for all. Can’t wait for President Sanders to bring her influence into our national perspective. ::closing my eyes for some self-care and a delightful, delicious, deep breath:: Please join me for a moment in knowing we will find a way to get through this together. xxx
1
did I hear Kelly's recall involve the bringing in of the unlabeled map and pompeo demanding she identify Ukraine on the map and pompeo's recollection that she pointed to Bangladesh? A bald-faced lie that would be...no one with Kelly's experience and education could have made tat mistake.
2
Thank you Mary Louise Kelly for your professionalism and your fine work.
4
What evidence do you have that you correctly identified Ukraine on a map?
Pompeo suggests you didn't.
He said she said, right?
Thank you for your service.
2
When Trump fires Pompeo, I wonder how he'll feel about
Marie Yovanovitch.
Per Wikipedia: In 2014, Pompeo told a church group that Christians needed to "know that Jesus Christ as our savior is truly the only solution for our world". In 2015 in a talk at a church, Pompeo said that "politics is a never-ending struggle ... until the Rapture."
Anybody else uncomfortable with US foreign policy being in the hands of someone who dismisses the notion of peace and who welcomes the end of the world?
Meanwhile, for some much-needed levity, go to YT and search for "Pompe-O Wants To Go Home To Kansas" (from the Late Show w Stephen Colbert).
3
There is no substance to the Trump administration because they are simply a bunch of rude, impulsive adolescents.
There are no nation names on their world map because no countries, even ours matters to them.
Unfortunately, close to half of our population are happy to have bullies entertaining them on TV, cable and social media. They are so detached from the world outside of their limited comfort zone, that everyone else us an enemy.
1
Mary Louise Kelly thinks she's so smart. But Mike Pompeo knows better. That place she identified as Ukraine with the city of Sevastopol? His buddy Putin has assured him that it's actually part of Russia.
2
Pompeo treated her with complete disregard and disdain - not unlike how he treated Ambassador Yovanovitch.
He is part of the 'boys club' it seems.
Trump and Dershowitz are also members.
None of the boys would ever treat a male member of the press or male ambassador in such a condescending manner
Very ridiculous
4
These slithering worms, sorry, worms are ecologically necessary, these threatened spineless cowards, terrified of everything they are not are in their final desperate days of clinging to the power that they've had since this nation was formed.
They will eventually fall to plurality, but the damage they are willing to do is incalculable.
1
The Trump White House resembles the locker room and its talk that inspired Trump's anti woman talk Trump has used during his campaign and indeed through out his life. Her treatment by Pompeo is a vicious symptom of that misogynistic ethic. Indeed it seems that to join Trump's inner sanctum you must prove yourself a misogynist, someone who disparages the media and a liar. i guess Pompeo has now proved himself qualified to join the bully boy's club.
2
Profanity laced tirades. Clear contempt or dismissiveness toward women. Refusals to answer legitimate questions. Childish retaliation for perceived slights. The rotten apples don't fall far from the Trump tree.
3
Mary Louise Kelly: thank you for doing your job, and doing it well. Mike Pompeo seems to forget that he is a pubic servant, working on behalf of the 330 million Americans living in the US and around the world. He seems to forget that as a public servant he has the responsibility to explain to us what he is doing and why and how. He seems to forget that talking to the media who ask him questions on our behalf is part of his job. He clearly routinely forgets what manners are. He certainly does not understand why he should not be a bully to female reporters doing their jobs. Perhaps if all of that is too much for him to handle, and it is demonstrably so, he could just resign.
2
Pompeo is another in a long line of Trump's boorish, uninformed, blindly loyal toadys. He is a disgrace and his tenure as Secretary of State has been an embarrassment and a blemish on this country. From day one, he has displayed none of the intellect, character, or morality one would want from a man in his position. He's just a another in a long line of Trump's thugs, one of many who have glommed on to Trump in desperate bids for power/prestige.
2
The opinion of all about Mike P is that he is 100% a creation of the Koch Brothers.
So what if he is smart. It just makes him a better tool.
2
Mr. Pompeo, your too well educated to get a by on this ridiculous episode. Is it the' little boy' syndrome getting to you? The rest of the world is noticing. Great job Secretary of State. You make us proud.
1
Where do I send my donation to NPR?
Even if only 1% of their funding comes from the government, we need to support the free press in the United States now more than ever.
We need to stand up to fascist misogynists like Trump and Pompeo.
2
Ms. Kelly,
Spectacle is front and center and this impacts the "watch dog" responsibility of the press. (The NYT is not as prone to creating spectacle as other press outlets but they are guilty of it at times.) It is in this context readers try and find truth. Facts are in the background. Spectacle is winning. Yell louder.
Iran's foreign minister gave straightforward answers and all Pompeo did was hem and haw and yell. Embarrassing.
For President Trump, Mr. Pompeo, Mr Barr, or others in this administration you simply don't ask tough, difficult or probing questions - that's what they expect, demand…….
What are they afraid of, hiding?………….
2
The United States of America does not have a Secretary of State currently. In Mike Pompeo, what we have is an arrogant, ill-mannered Trump lackey of limited intelligence and maturity "pretending" of be Secretary of State.
1
Next appropriations bill: defund Pompeo's salary.
1
The thing that drives me crazy about NPR and the rest is that they interview them and invite them to their TV shows and expect them to be different from the people they've been for 3 years. Kelley knew Pompeo was a snake before the interview. All of Trumps' people are lying snakes. Why Kelley didn't have her tape recorder running during Pompeo's tantrum is beyond me. I'd like to hear that.
2
Journalist asking just about any question.
Answer from Pompeo: "Because I said so"
1
More people contribute to NPR than to Trump. Stick that in your pipe, Mr. Pompeo.
1
Pompeo embarrassed himself and the Administration with his lack of dignity. It's obvious he wasn't chosen for his speaking skills.
1
Pompeo's arrogance speaks volumes about his idea of democracy and in particular about the free press.
I am sure that in that room the ghost of the WP journalist Jamal Khashoggi was in some way present.
Journalists - Keep up the good work! - our nation needs you now more than ever - long live the First Amendment!
1
Breathtaking that President Trump took the time with Bibi Netanyahu to insult the reporter. While devastating to realize that in 2020 this is where we are. Peace Plan? So insulting.
Treatment of women? Still Neanderthal.
1
I doubt if Trump himself could find the Ukraine on a marked map within 5 minutes.
3
When any ordinary person stands up to one of the Trump minions, I am impressed and thankful. Mary Louise Kelly has always been a tough reporter, again something for which I am thankful. I had almost stopped listening to NPR following the election of 2016, when I felt they were much too "fair" in their reporting of the illegitimate trump regime.
Thank Ms Kelly and all other journalists. You are so very important!
9
Pompeo is an embarrassment to his Class of 1986 at the Military Academy. So many others achieved high rank but also served competently and honorably, and they did not jump at the first chance to get released from active service in the Army.
15
As a retired military officer, I thank you and your fellow reporters for your service. Press freedom is essential to inform the governed and prevent a decent into dictatorship or kleptocracy. As recent times have shown, we clearly can't rely on our government officials to keep this from happening, and a free press is our only real hope to maintain a democratic republic. Thanks again.
24
I only get NPR in my car so I don't often get to hear Ms Kelly but she has conveyed here in print what I feel when I hear your political programs; which is total professionalism, both sides of issues, and a sincere attempt by most presenters to clearly present their positions. I think quality journalism is essential too.
26
There are historical figures who have demonized the press in their time. The passing of years has not been kind to them.
17
@Construction Joe - possibly the most dramatic was Mussolini and the piano wire. Long live the First Amendment.
I have listened to "All things considered" - which is a misnomer for the title of a show - as it comes from a side that is often anti-President-Trump and anti-Republican. Having David Brooks as a regular contributor, given his overly negative attitude toward President Trump, hardly qualifies for the notion that all things are being considered.
1
@Sunny 4 Life
After Access Hollywood, to anyone with a mother, aunt or sister it would seem normal, indeed healthy to have a negative attitude to Donald John. How may lies do you require to finally have a negative attitude to him? 100,000 lies?
3
@Sunny 4 Life It’s not up to any news outlet to present lies, nonsense, and propaganda as news.
1
"We do it in the service of asking tough questions." Right, but it would be possible only if such a chance of meeting is given, usually not by herself but often by her opponents, like Pompeo.
Not one person has addressed Pompeo’s issues - including and especially the reporter. First, there was an agreement that certain areas were off limits which was not respected. Also, other parts of the conversation were supposed to be off the record. Complete lack of journalistic integrity - it has come to be expected - the ends always justify the means when it comes to Trump.
2
Actually she has addressed that, in previous reports on this; from NPR directly and other news sources.
She even released the emails she exchanged with Pompeo’s staff which clearly showed that she did NOT agree to avoid Ukraine questions. In fact she said that she intended to talk about a range of issues but would start with Iran.
And she also shared in previous news reports that she never agreed to things being off the record; most journalists are not willing to talk off the record and that was her standard as well.
So she did address those things, even if not here.
53
@Tom Johnson Actually you are the one who has neglected to follow through on the exchange. As noted in another response, she did not agree to avoid topics, which is documented in an email exchange. Pompeo could have decided not to have the interview, based on this information. Professional does not describe yelling at a reporter doing her job. I think you have expectations that make it difficult to follow this written piece. Anyway, I suppose since trump has repeatedly called the press enemies of the people (look through history to see who else has done this), none of this should be surprising.
13
I'm a small worker in a large world. I listen to All Things Considered on the way home from work.
Thank you. Thank you for being a small beacon of light in a time of darkness and insanity. Thank you for remaining calm while I scream at my car radio. Thank you for pursuing the truth in an age that feels more and more like Orwell's 1984.
If we get through this dark time, it will be because of journalists like you and your compatriots at the NY Times and everywhere else where the simple truth matters more than propaganda and bluster.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
48
Bob Aldrich-I agree completely with what you wrote! Thank you for it. NPR, and The New York Times, etc. are beacons of light in these dark times. I thank all of them too!
15
Well, this whole ordeal has convinced me to finally commit to supporting public radio by donating to my local member station. Thanks Mike Pompeo!
68
I listened to both interviews. The Iranian foreign minister was cold but polite and extremely skilled in giving non answers to hard questions, just the way one imagines a chief diplomat to behave.
Pompeo was annoyed with the questions, his answers were bombastic unsupported statements.
The education he obtained at West Point and Harvard obviously didn't teach him or even influence him enough to see the world and people that are not men and not Christians as humans: a mysoginistic bully remained a mysoginistic bully.
74
Aware of only the resume of the Sec of State as West Point topper and Harvard Law, i had great admiration for him. This incident has tempered that perception somewhat.
Think, Ms. Kelly would have to deliberate as well. Can anybody seriously answer the question on nukes in a 10 minute format? Suggesting "Sanctions?" is a provocation, or even worse a pointless sarcasm. Don't think such questions make the grade of being a thoughtful and rigorous interview.
62
@second Derivative If resumes impress you, you should check out Kelly's: BA in government and French from Harvard, MA in European Studies from Cambridge, 20 years covering international relations, diplomacy, and intelligence with BBC and CNN as well as NPR. Her questions were respectful and tough. You hear her "Sanctions?" as a provocation. I hear it as a way to draw out a recalcitrant, petulant public official who was stonewalling her.
996
@second Derivative Pompeo better be able to answer the question on nukes, sanctions. It is his job to have thought about such things. He has the resume to answer this type of question and the ear of the President in these matters. I am betting he was not prepared for the tough questions asked by a woman much less being intimidated. That's why he retaliated with the swearing and geography quiz. Insecure man!
631
@second Derivative
I suspect that the 10-minute limit was imposed by Pompeo's office. Ms. Kelly likely would have welcomed more time to delve into the issues. Abbreviated interviews are a strategy for government officials to avoid having to answer thought-provoking questions from journalists.
Why does Pompeo, a smart man judging from his educational background, fear difficult questions from journalists?
412
Clearly, Pompeo has little patience for journalists. Best advice would have been for him to simply reply, "At this time I won't comment on impeachment-related matters. I don't want to unduly influence the trial in the Senate," and leave it at that.
I listen to Mary Louise Kelly every morning on NPR, and although she might have pressed little, I think should would have ultimately respected that response.
8
I'm in my 70s now, and I am so very happy to see more and more smart, capable women positioned to discomfit the powerful. I've been impressed by Kelly for a while, but never more than now. We must all keep NPR strong.
61
Thank you Ms. Kelly for helping Americans understand the issues that our country faces. I am tired of this administration calling the press "the enemy of the people". When we no longer have a free press, a government can say anything they want and there are no repercussions. We must continue to support people like Ms. Kelly. Without her and the free press, we will move toward having a dictatorship and propaganda.
38
Great job, Ms. Kelly, but you should not expect anything relevant from Pompeo. He is under Trump's thumb.
The press needs to fight hard and loud to insure its future in a GOP new world landscape. Truth, access, and information have all been compromised over the course of two Republican administrations. Water boarding is torture. America did it. There were no weapons of mass destruction. White House press conferences are a thing of the past. The day of a widely distributed press release with no access to government workers is at hand. Government employees who don't pledge allegiance to Trump and the GOP will be purged. Germany 1932 here we come.
21
Shared misogynistic tendencies might help explain why Pompeo, a politician I would find little in common with but whose career trajectory in the GOP pointed upward in January 2017, went all-in with Trump.
19
You are more qualified than our current Secretary of State... Here’s to journalism and courageous journalists of great integrity. We need to protect you now more than ever. Donate to NPR, please.
56
I think Pompeo is walking a tightrope with Trump and there are cracks beginning to form and he doesn't want the dreaded "acting" to precede his name. It's true that Trump hates the media, except the Enquirer, when he needs to pay off porn stars or they perform catch and kill on negative personal stories about him or Time Magazine when he's competing for the cover. Yes, Pompeo has proven himself to be one of the boys in the Trump administration by giving Mary Louise Kelly, a highly educated professional, hell when she attempted to conduct a legitimate interview with him. I'm sure the fact that she's a woman really elevated his status with Trump, and he even got a back pat from Dershowitz when Trump publicly congratulated him on his behavior. Not only are these men united in destroying our democracy, they're masters at abusing women as well.
48
Thank you for doing your job correctly. It's too bad, understatement, that our current government is run by people who are unwilling to do their jobs correctly.
34
Pompeo is the guy that when asked about Trump's pressuring Ukraine said he didn't know about it, when he sat in on the call? Lying to cover up criminal behavior seems de jure for Trump and his surrogates.
How much did Trump get for Kushner's real estate business from Qatar after pressuring them? Was it $1 billion, payable in advance? Our foreign policy is subjected to extraordinary corruption every day from Trump, over and above what he is being impeached, and now removed from office, for.
31
I heard your interview with Mr. Zarif. He was a very skillful respondent. His arguments weren't necessarily persuasive or fully responsive, but they were the considered and respectful responses of a professional. Pompeo, by contrast, used the tactics of a sullen 12-year-old: unresponsiveness, unsupported assertions and emotion-drenched personal attacks to avoid engaging with legitimate questions. Contrast the pathetic behavior of our nation's top diplomat with that of the many career foreign service professionals who testified before the House Intelligence Committee.
56
Thank you, Ms. Kelly, for what you do. It's just too bad that a free press these days. thanks to the pettiness and arrogance of the present Administration, cannot do more than continuously remind us of the pettiness and arrogance of the present Administration.
22
I really cannot expect much decency from any person willing to work for this president and to slavishly obey him. These are not people for whom America and its people are a priority.
37
@Irene
Maybe they're not working FOR him, but WITH him, and they believe what they are doing IS in America's best interests.
3
If so, explain your policy and rationale.
Not much is accomplished for our country with swearing and walking away from questions, basic I would think, that the US Secretary of State should have been able to handle. Easily, if you believe in a policy.
These folks are WAY too thin-skinned for the real world of foreign policy, much less for real questions about their actions.
13
@Peter Rasmussen
If so, they are seriously mistaken.
1
A general question for Pompeo defenders in the readers' comments:
What would be your defence for Pompeo who was on the call between Trump and Zelensky and didn't see anything inappropriate occur?
What would be your defence for Pompeo for going into virtual hiding after Ukraine crisis came to light?
Despite his much touted credentials, he is totally unfit to be Sec of State.
31
I am a member of WBEZ and listen to ATC daily. MLK is not one of my favorite hosts, honestly, I’m more of an Audie/Ari fan. That said, I heard her interview Pompeo. It was solid and the only baiting/disrespect I heard was from Pompeo.
I’m not surprised by the conservative Trumpian trolls in these responses trying to continue Pompeo’s work trashing the real media and a real journalist (like her or not, she’s a consummate professional).
One last thing to keep in mind. In the interim, Pompeo denied Michelle Keleman (also NPR) a press spot on his Iran trip. He and Trump are childish bullies. I am legitimately scared what their next moves will be.
44
@John Fuente
If Trump is reelected, and the Senate remains in GOP hands, all bets on America's future are off.
Anything could happen.
If Trump called for the closure of all media outlets, and asked his followers to enforce it, they would take to the streets to do so. Their loyalty is their honor.
3
In essence...he's nothing more than a Trump clone...and a poor one at that.
16
Why on earth did Pompeo agree to be interviewed? Kelley’s questions were table stakes. She barely scratched the surface. He either did this to rile up “the base’ by having a staged argument with an real life journalist, or he is actually this ill prepared and childish. Which is worse?
28
Pompeo's performance was shameful. You handled him very professionally and I was truly impressed with the poise and backbone you demonstrated in dealing with him.
24
Mary Louise Kelly is a treasure!
25
Mary Louise Kelly and NPR will be 'milking' this for months, if not years. As a preface, I have had a subscription to the NY Times for years, and have contributed to NPR/PBS for decades; that may change. NPR/PBS are terrified that the Republican right will strip funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. They're right. But what is sad to see is journalists for both systems (PBS and NPR) continue to NOT ask the tough questions. Even back in 2017, when Donald Trump banned the Times and BBC from some event, he spoke in warm tones about how wonderful PBS's Lisa Desjardins was. At the same time, he was savaging poor Katy Tur, because she didn't 'tow the line'. I seem to remember, at about the same time, Ms. Kelly not wanting to use the word 'liar' to describe Trump's...well, lies. She used every other word, except the one that properly fit, to explain his lying. I'm sure she's a nice person, but, I'd like to see her grow a backbone and return to the front tier of journalists.
5
Thank you for your steadfast work to bring the truth to your readers as a member of the US fourth estate
May you flourish going forward, in the safety provided by the US Constitution, despite the wishes of traitors like Trump and Pompeo
13
Bravo Mary Louise Kelly! Journalism is needed to slow down the series of foreign-policy blunders: Vietnam, Palestine, Libya, Iraq, and the withdrawals from the agreement on climate change and the JCPOA, and the trade wars.
13
Keep up the good work asking the important questions.
So shameful for Trump to congratulate Pompeo for being rude.
14
Thank you Mary Louise for doing your job so well. I want to hear your tough questions and found Pompeo's answers extremely inadequate. He does not deserve to reside in this office. He is hypocritical, a bully and very small minded.
529
@Kathryn Aguilar
"He does not deserve to reside in this office. He is hypocritical, a bully and very small minded."
Just like the "president" he serves.
9
@Kathryn Aguilar Me Too!!
3
The trouble with Kelly's argument is that a simple content analysis--or an even simpler daily listen to its news programs--shows that NPR asks "tough questions" not in behalf of "fellow citizens" but with the interests and concerns and biases of NPR's target audience in mind. And its audience is young, educated, urban, and liberal and very definitely opposed to the politics of the current administration. That fact determines EVERYTHING about NPR's journalism.
1
I’m educated, urban, and liberal. But I’m not young. And most of my acquaintances, liberal and conservative, faithfully listen and donate to NPR. Frankly, I was surprised to learn that my conservative friends consider NPR as their “go to” station for serious, in-depth news coverage.
To maintain our friendship, though, I don’t ask them how they feel about what they hear.
8
@PSK
Maybe. But you'll have to prove that such is a big factor.
I can't take it on your word alone.
Frankly, any suggestion that NPR is wildly biased is, well, ridiculous. They are so even handed as to sometimes get me yelling at my car radio. If NPR is biased, you'll have to prove that too. Their disagreeing with Fox or Trump is not proof of bias. Maybe facts have a liberal bias?
1
@PSK: NPR’s audience is ‘young and educated,’ which it seems you also equate with ‘urban and liberal.’ Perish the thought!
So tell me, when Trump, Pompeo and the rest of the entourage of Trumpian apologists and sycophants appear on Fox News, do the interviewers ‘ask questions with the interests, concerns and biases of the target audience in mind’? Are you then conceding that, unlike the NPR audience, the Fox News ‘target audience’ consists of the ‘old, willfully ignorant and poorly educated’? Are those, in your view, the prevalent characteristics of ‘rural’ America? And is that supposed to be a positive thing?
Tell me, are the ‘old, willfully ignorant and poorly educated’ the ones who should be selecting our leadership; are those the people who should drive public policy; and do we really want ‘leaders’ who do not ‘lead’ at all, but merely exploit and pander to the lowest common denominator, and do less than nothing to raise them up and do something positive to address their needs?
Tax cuts for the rich, increasingly unaffordable and inaccessible health care, rising ‘deaths of despair,’ deep cuts in education and safety net programs, rollbacks in regulations that should prevent and mandate remediation of polluted land and water in blighted rural areas, belligerent foreign policy that is likely to send the children of the rural working class off to die in remote wars — shouldn’t true advocates for the Fox News ‘target audience’ vehemently challenge the people responsible?
In the era of Trump, our best hope is that the diplomats of countries we regard as enemies have higher moral standards, and are more professionally mature, than the current Secretary of State or the POTUS. Our enemies' diplomatic competence, and their commitment to peace, is the only thing standing between the US and a major war in the Middle East and in Asia.
Thankfully, in the potential conflict between the US and Iran, the Iranians wore their 'big boy pants' and have thus far helped us avoid war. Let's hope that this trend continues until we can elect an adult as POTUS who has smart and mature friends with diplomatic skills.
12
Perhaps the present situation is akin to PBS's "Dictators Playbook." Summarized as "They were ruthless men with unchecked power, ruling their nations with an iron fist. Suppressing dissent, they demanded absolute loyalty, jailing or killing those who opposed them. They ruled by force of personality, but were plagued by secret fears and private demons. They were dictators, tyrants who shaped the 20th century and left their mark on our own."
The steps leaders used should sound familiar to many. Major was suppressing/discrediting the media and uniting the masses by identifying, then prosecuting a common enemy.
Unfortunately the programs were repetitive as dictators use the the same formulas from regime to regime regardless of varying nations.
The more things change the more they stay the same in many instances!
7
Ms. Kelly pointedly reveals the immense problem with the tactics undertaken by our Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Instead of functioning as a representative of our country's diplomatic efforts in Iran and through out the world, Mr. Pompeo chooses belligerence and recalcitrance. He shows no interest in diplomacy, cooperation, and rational discussion of the salient concerns, relying instead on (impliedly) threatening comments regarding policy toward Iran, coarse language to Ms. Kelly herself, and walking out of an interview when his bellicose and combative behavior is ineffective to dissuade Ms. Kelly's further questions.
We are poorly served by the entire administration's policy of talking tough, making threats, and bullying questioners (women especially). Mr. Pompeo is an embarrassment to our country and the professional diplomatic corps that he pretends to lead.
30
I love NPR, but over the past 8 years it has transformed, like the NY Times, to be overrun with OPINIONs from those reporting as opposed to objective.
Having listened to Ms. Kelly interview many people over the years her tone strikes less of a Ted Koppel dry informed question and more of a question laced with a point of view and at times without respect for the subject.
It is no surprise that Pompeo struck back hard. He is an unsavory person that I do not respect, but I can say that since I'm not interviewing him.
5
My goodness, so you’re okay with the verbal abuse and bullying of a lady?! Pompeo is the Secretary of State of the United States of America! He has sullied and demeaned the Office of the Secretary of State.
1
I love hearing you every morning, Mary Louise Kelly. You are a role model to women, a smart and an exact interviewer, and absolutely fantastic at your job. Thanks for keeping me informed.
17
Pompeo was boneheaded to try to suggest that Ms Kelly pointed to Bangladesh instead of the Ukraine. Bangladesh is surrounded by India and Myanmar. The closest Russia gets to Bangladesh is 1600 miles, mostly across western China.
It's obvious lies like this that emphasize how little faith we should have in Mr. Pompeo's abilities.
656
@John
I believe Pompeo has confused Bangladesh with Belarus. I'm betting he cant't find Bangladesh on an unmarked map.
96
@John
Pompeo knows Belarus since it shows up on the expanded list of countries banned from visiting the USA. But he thinks Bangladesh is Belarus! There is no way Ms Kelly would put Ukraine bordering India.
11
Dear NYT:
It is good to see NPR at least attempt its own reporting -- rather than regurgitate stories from the front pages of the NYT for its listeners, punctuated by weird little musical "buttons."
However, this self-serving report sounds like an NPR public service announcement, not journalism.
In fact, as you and other biased anti-Trump reporters have demonstrated all too often during the Trump presidency, journalists do "sit down with senior government officials in the service of scoring political points."
Your Ukraine questions were beyond the scope agreed to for the interview, were purile and argumentative, and echoed Democrat impeachment talking points.
You were going for "tough" sound bites to titillate your listeners, who are overwhelmingly liberal and anti-Trump. This is radio click bait journalism.
Where were NPR's "tough" questions for John Kerry and the Obama team, that secretly handed over wads of cash to the Revolutionary Guard, allowed development of ballistic missles and the promotion of terrorism throughout the region?
Where was your tough questioning of Obama's drone program, which murdered hundreds of civilians?
7
Ukraine was not beyond the scope of agreed questions. The agreement and scope were mentioned in real time during the interview, and proven through the release of State Department emails. The Secretary’s staff agreed to leading with Iran, and following with Ukraine. These are facts.
22
I believe that emails were exchanged between the reporter and the Secretary’s staff outlining the two topic areas she planned to cover, so that was known going into the interview. Apparently, no one said no prior to interview. But what I find problematic is not a refusal to discuss the topic, but the Secretary’s behavior afterwards that I find (at best) inappropriate...
10
@Jorge
Step away from the Faux News, and maybe you will realize that responsible journalism means asking the tough questions of both Republicans alike. You weren't listening to NPR, so you missed the tough questioning of Obama and Kerry. Don't make unsubstantiated claims you can't back up.
Has anybody ever listened to a BBC interviewer? Pompeo wouldn’t last 10 seconds! Kelly was comparatively quite easy on him, and he couldn’t handle it.
22
@Matthew S
Yep! Pompeo and others of his ilk would be shaking, quaking in their boots. Meltdown in nanoseconds.
@Matthew S An excellent - and accurate - point. How can anyone with such a hair trigger thin skinned temperament be suited to be our nation’s top diplomat? Answer: he is not.
If this article doesn't scare you, and I presume that it does, there is an even more frightening prospect out there- the current occupant of the White House will be in the Oval Office for another year, minus eight days. He might, after November 3, be a lame-duck President, but that may make him even more dangerous and unhinged, the whole country having rejected him. And we've become all too aware that The Donald doesn't do rejection well.
The REAL danger to the country may not have even been reached yet. What a sobering prospect.
5
While being interviewed on the PBS News Hour a while ago, Pompeo tried to bully Judy Woodruff with the "catchphrase" of the day - sneeringly accusing her of parroting the Democratic playbook. Woodruff did not flinch, stating simply and politely that she was not and continuing.
Pompeo was flustered, clearly unhappy about his zinger not hitting home. So, here is the guy that is supposed to represent us to the world and he can't even handle an interview with public television? Just like Trump - it's too easy to set them off and distract them from what they are supposed to be doing.
Thank God that the rest of the world realizes Trump is a fool and has largely dismissed him. Now if only his base will do the same.
17
Mary Louise Kelly - consummate professional, truthteller, and American patriot.
Pompeo - not so much.
15
Moral of the story:
1) Never turn off the recorder.
2) All media should do what Mary Louise Kelly did - get banned.
This will only hurt trump and his childlike minions.
They won't ban every "left" media. They need them to control the news.
139
@Incredulous of 45 The junta could declare the 1st Amendment "temporarily" suspended and ban all media not approved by trump, and the senate and the courts will back him up.
5
The interview with Pompeo and his one word answers says it all--the US has no policy toward Iran other than crushing it--which will not work.
We refuse Iranian students entry on legitimate visas but took weeks to deport Saudi military, one of whose members engaged in a terrorist attack on the base in FL.
Thank you, Ms Kelly, for your commitment to the First Amendment and the truth.
10
Pompeo has shed any vestige of whatever rationality and honor enabled him to gain entry to and perform at either West Point or Harvard in favor of embracing of the mysticism of "The Rapture" in his version of evangelism. Once people have crossed that sort of line between fact and "whatever I believe is God-given," their discernment of any difference between truth and lies is lost.
As Pompeo’s devolves into megalomania, although much might have always been there, he matches Trump’s “only I can do it” and they compound into their globally destructive symbiosis. They pick up once-bright-light hangers-on like Dershowitz along the way.
8
One interesting question needs to be asked: Why was an unmarked map easy to hand in the Secretary of State's office?
A likely answer: They've been trying to learn their countries! As a teacher I know, the most common use for an unmarked map is a map quiz.
18
Pompeo's philippic towards an erudite NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly, a Harvard and an Oxford graduate, still seems to be reverberating in many ears. Alan Dershowitz seemed to endorse Pompeo's jeremiad, without batting an eyelid, since the latter's Middle East foreign policy gladdens the former. Nothing could be more lugubrious than these.
The diligent and industrious involvements of Mary's endeavors, especially, in matters of international importance, were repetitively rebuffed by Mike Pompeo, who continued to maintain his stance of protecting his staff, come what may. He could not answer a simple question on Marie Yovanovitch's ouster, the former US ambassador to Ukraine. His adamant approaches, to many questions posed by Mary Louise Kelly, were peppered with gasconading claims of how he handled his retinue.
Finally, it appeared that Mike could not contain his indignation, and this culminated in his dudgeon towards Mary Louise Kelly, given his already well-known cantankerous behaviors in public, many times. It seems tempting to suggest that he needs a befitting requite from an apt person, yet to be discovered.
2
@Vernon Return the thesaurus to its shelf, please.
Our top Diplomat treats a journalist to lies and a profanity laced tirade with little at stake. The tirade is because of the power differential. The lies are from character. What can a Diplomat from another country expect when there is more at stake?
9
To Mary Louise … I think you are one of the best and brightest journalists of our day and unafraid. I love listening anytime I can to your segments on NPR.
To Mr. Pompeo … name calling is something I experienced in 5th grade and is a poor replacement for genuine dialogue, disparaging journalists in public is sign you recognize the limitations in yourself and in the ideas you defend, what comes next ... eliminating those who would ask thoughtful challenging questions?
10
I did listen to that interview on NPR. It seems to me is important to mention how respectful this journalist, Mary Louise Kelly was with the Secretary of State. Did she make tough question? Yes, she did... with a lot of respect.
11
Ms. Kelly, thank you for standing up to bullies like Pompeo. Far too many people in this country think that dictatorship can't happen here but they are wrong, it can happen, it is happening. Only a free press and courageous and knowledgeable journalists like yourself might be able to save us. Meine Hochachtung.
5
If you've ever watched BBC news, you might have noticed two things. One, the interviewers are far tougher on their subjects than the US media are. Two, when the news is reported it is done by a "reader" who simply relates the news and does not editorialize. I think the US media would do well to emulate the BBC.
9
Mike Pompeo is a little man, whose highest attainment in life was being first captain at the Military Academy, as a cadet. He has gone nowhere since then and is over his head in his current job. The worst Secretary of State in the country's history. We cannot hope for much from him except continued foul ups and disasters.
14
Mary Louise Kelly repeats a threadbare contemporary journalistic trope – that the journalist’s responsibility is “to put questions to powerful people and hold them to account”. I disagree. I believe journalists should seek to fulfill a less immodest role: to report the facts – the news – and thus inform the public.
In simpler days, the mainstream press characterized its role as ‘writing the first draft of history‘ – i.e., uncovering and setting out the facts as faithfully as could be done contemporaneously. Informing the public, in other words. A focus on the facts, not on themselves.
Questioning the powerful can be a useful and. legitimate component of the media’s responsibility. However, arrogating a presumed right to act like prosecutors inflates the media’s self-image, to their detriment and that of the publics they should serve.
2
@Michael N. Alexander
I assume you didn't read the article. What Ms. Kelly asked Pompeo was not what a prosecutor would ask him. I respect the media, not the Trumpistas.
6
Maybe it's time to start requiring these officials to wear body cameras when interacting with the public.
2
To Ms. Kelly’s point: “”...that the risk of miscalculation - of two old adversaries misreading each other and accidentally escalating into armed confrontation - has felt very real.” Agreed and thank you for requesting we all not miss the greater point.
4
It's time for Pompeo to resign or to be impeached.
8
@Paul Dobbs -- good call! However, let's first convict Trump (i.e., remove him from the presidency).
The "free press is the enemy of the state" spoken by our current President and others in his administration. Do we really need to go any further? Any American that utters those words are not truly American!
8
I have had NPR on from morning til night, for the last 40 years. Do I believe a Trump appointee, or an NPR reporter and host? Well, you can probably guess. Trump and his people don’t care about the truth. I will continue relying on NPR for unbiased news.
9
Thank you, Ms. Kelly, for the work you do.
Frankly, in a veracity contest between Ms. Kelly and Mr. Pompeo, there is no contest. Ms. Kelly has every reason to accurately report events as they happen. Mr. Pompeo, a man under Trump's thumb, has every reason to dissemble.
People nourished on a diet of Fox News or, worse yet, Breitbart and its ilk, may be shocked to encounter an actual journalist instead of an administration cheer leader. They may find it uncomfortable to witness their vaunted leaders, their dear leaders, confronted with uncomfortable and unanswerable questions, and pressed for answers. Thank goodness for that press, though. It is the last bulwark standing between us as a democracy and us as an authoritarian state calling itself a democracy.
Trump's middle east policies, including cozy relations with Erdogan, MBS, lap-dog acquiescence to Israel's hard right wing, and noisy confrontation with Iran, are exactly the kind of chaos that can blow that area sky high. Where there's money to be made, Trump's all over it. The stink of venal corruption is all over it. Forget principles of fundamental fairness, historical perspective, and international agreement.
I would like to see an administration that doubled down on nuclear non-proliferation. For those nations that want to enter the nuclear energy generation family, international inspections are a must. Dropping out of that framework is just plain dumb. Not stable, not genius; dumb.
3
When Mike Pompeo is resorting to this kind of behavior and getting away with it, these are scary times.
5
We do not have many heroes to look up to these days. You, Mary Louise Kelly, are one. Thank you for all you do.
8
The profanity. The glare. The lies. They tell a story. That of an ugly disregard for 1) the media 2) women and 3) the truth. That type of behavior requires this reminder: It is a government of the people, for the people and by the people. The pursuit of truth is fundamental to every ethical journalist. Mary Louise Kelly did her job. Her courage is her shield against abuse. The truth prevails all the time, and power in the wrong hands does not last. I am glad we have fearless journalists like MLK who put country before self.
7
Obviously Pompeo didn’t realize Ms. Kelley’s credentials. If Pompeo treats her a journalist like this one wonders how he treats diplomats from Iran. Such pettiness isn’t an attractive look nor is it in our countries interest .
5
Mr. Pompeo has disgraced himself and the cadet code. He should read it again and practice it. Without a moral compass he is spineless. One of the greatest compliments of a man is being called a "gentleman". He will never be mistaken for one unless he changes his way. There's nothing more repulsive than a profane sycophant bully. I only hope his wife, and any other woman who encounters him does not have to be subjected to his ignorance and lack of respect and decency.
We are very sorry Mary for your ordeal. keep up the great work!
5
The US needs legislation forbidding any politician from barring access to any legitimate journalist. djt had no right to suspend Jim Acosta's access, and Pompeo has no right to refuse NPR to have access on this trip.
The pols work for *us*. We pay their salaries, we elect them (or elect those who appoint them) to keep the US safe and functioning at the highest level (hahahahahaha) -- and we have a right to ask, via legitimate journalists, *any* question about their professional life or professional activities.
To be clear, there is no such thing as an "illegitimate journalist," but given that no one can stop charlatans from calling themselves "journalists," I'm making the distinction. A legit journalist = anyone who trained at an accredited journo school or via an apprenticeship at an actual media outlet, and who works for an actual media outlet that reports facts -- not someone who works for, or "trained" at, one of the propaganda mines.
2
Watching Trump and Pompeo yesterday at the Middle East peace proposal new conference, I couldn't help observing how similar the room with its applauding apparatchiks looked to North Korea's Kim and his junta. The US men's thuggish demeanor, Trump's press spokeswoman's refusal to interact with the press -- there seems to be very little daylight between the US and North Korea at the executive branch level. And the slavish Senate Republicans recall similar Roman senators two thousand years ago who agreed to Nero's horse joining them.
7
Pompeo, like almost everyone who has thrown in with Trump, is thin skinned, misogynistic and snide. The imperious dismissal suggests he did not know what the job was when he took it. If he was working in the private sector, he would have been sacked several times over by now.
4
Pompeo's behavior was abominable--and frankly, silly. The condemnation heaped on him is well deserved.
But I also wondered if there's an inside story that could explain his blowing up at Kelly: his reaction seemed to be touched off by the line of questions about Ukraine, and in particular, the question of whether he had acted appropriately towards Yovanovitch.
If not for the doubling-down on his rant at Kelly, I was ready to allow that, in fact, Pompeo HAD been acting to protect Yovanovitch. Her sudden recall, in light of the revelations (from Parnas) that she was being followed and surveilled by Robert Hyde, might not have been about firing her. Perhaps is was about protecting her. If--big IF--that was so, and Pompeo was scrambling behind the scenes to keep her safe, that could explain his blowing up at Kelly when she pressed him on that. It woud NOT make his outburst acceptable, but it might explain why that was a sore spot for him.
BUT, no.
When he comes out with the follow up statement calling Kelly a liar and implying she doesn't know basic geography, and if he's accepting Trump's backslap for abusing Kelly, then sympathetic readings of his bad conduct are not called for. Lump him in with the other boorish, arrogant, bullying 'boys' of Trump's ilk.
1
Clear and precise answers from Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif vs. obfuscation, a Pompeo/Trump et al specialty. I would like to hear Iran state its case directly before the United Nations Security Council in the full light of day, as Foreign Minister Zarif had planned. increasing U S isolationism and defiance of accepted convention like the 1947 United Nations charter is indeed a slippery slope.
1
Mary Louise, you do us all an invaluable service when you ask the hard questions of those in power. We depend on journalists to ask the hard questions to try to get to the truth, since it seems our elected leaders on the Republican side are failing miserably at that task and now find themselves with a bully in the White House who is doing all he can to hide the truth when it’s convenient for him and his political future. Pompeo is just another bully. I am so glad that you are not allowing him to silence you. Thank you for standing up to him and for your great work.
436
Thank you Ms. Kelly! You are a hero!
5
The Trump administration and the republicans in general have always practiced obscuring their inner workings and avoiding any real transparency. Pompeo is in lock-step with the rest of the GOP hive mind. About as surprising as the sun being in the sky.
3
I wonder why Pompeo agreed to the interview if he wasn't going to say more than "we'll stop them." He could have prepared, even a "canned" statement to possible questions. But then, that would require work, wouldn't it?
So much easier to curse and swear.
I, or any one of the other commenters here, could have said the same thing on the telephone and we are not even privileged to internal information, chosen to represent the country on the world stage or paid a salary.
Mary Louise did the best she could with the subject of the interview and did not succeed in giving Pompeo a chance to just do some publicity for how bad Iran is and how wonderful 45 is.
I'll apply for Pompeo's job next time it's open.
4
As a journalist on NPR's "All Things Considered," Ms. Kelly has consistently added important information concerning American national security.
Perhaps her questions to Mr. Pompeo could've been more general rather than needing to insist on specifics and lengthier answers from the Secretary of State if the Trump Administration, and Mr. Pompeo in particular, would hold regular, substantive and informative press conferences.
We haven't seen much of the new White House Press Secretary, have we?
Just who do we think we are with our "fake news" journalists described by the president of the United States as the "enemy of the people" to want to know whether or not we're in peril because of the president's latest whimsy concerning foreign policy?
Mike Pompeo's completely out-of-control behavior toward a respected journalist (who represents a news entity that is partially funded by the American people) should be held accountable for his conduct. His smug attitude towards Ms. Kelly seems to infer that he's not accountable to anybody because Trump will protect him no matter what.
Why? Because Pompeo has demonstrated his loyalty to a president who seemingly cares about little else.
4
When Journalists refer to themselves in a headline; we should all take a step back and realize where the profession is going.
One could argue that journalists have stopped being 'objective observers' and are inserting themselves into the news. By which, they are losing their objectivity and becoming 'media stars' like so many talk show hosts.
While I don't care for the current Secretary of State, I am also concerned about the current state of journalism in our nation and its inability to be fact based versus evangelist based. Moreover, I can safely say this particular journalist will not be accepting a Pulitzer anytime soon...
2
@Jon
This is an editorial, not a news article. She's allowed to talk about herself, especially since she became part of the story through no fault of her own.
2
@Jon The only reason Ms. Kelly is in the news is because of the Secretary of State’s unstatesmanlike behavior, followed by the obvious lies he used in an attempt to demean her. In her essay, she barely mentioned the brouhaha and brought readers back to the facts, which got lost in the shuffle. There was nothing evangelical in her questioning; she gave Mr. Pompeo an opportunity to articulate the administration’s position on a number of issues, and he went into a temper tantrum instead. I’ll say what she didn’t: he’s unfit for his job.
3
@Jon '
You are way off base on this one. I assume you don't listen to NPR much. Mary Louise Kelly may very well end up with a Pulitzer . . . But she has my undying support against the liars and obfuscators of the world like Mike Pompeo.
1
Thank you, Ms. Kelly, for the work you do and for this thoughtful essay. While I am appalled with how Mr. Pompeo treated you, I appreciate your attempt to refocus on the issues of diplomacy with Iran.
My take is that Mr. Pompeo could not give more specific answers because he doesn't have them. In the Trump administration, as you would know better than I, there seems to be little long-term planning. In that context, Mr. Pompeo is the one who is blustering.
5
Fellow American Wake up. We re in the Age of Bellicosity. We are in the Age of 48%.
In the old days, the street gangs of New York or Los Angles relied on GROUP STRENGTH to over-power decent people; in the new age, the American Extreme Right now beat up less powerful nations, break up small nations, and grab their riches. Not very many decent citizens take on street gangs; the decent Americans cannot take on "EXTREME PRESSURE" gang at the helm either.
2
We are fortunate to have NPR and working journalists like Kelly.
19
Ms Kelly is not believable. I have listen to her for years on 'All Things Considered" and I have never heard a kind word for the Trump administration from her.
5
Ms Kelly is not in the business of complimenting administrations, just on reporting their policies and actions. If the current administration has unflattering policies it is not on her to make them appear palatable.
42
She calls it as she see’s it. Maybe there is nothing kind to say about this chaotic and cruel administration.
2
@Samuel Taylor
I agree with Kate from Portland, Ms. Kelly’s job as a reporter is not to compliment a President/Administration. NPR expects their journalists to report with integrity and they do that. You mentioned that you’ve listened to her for “years” on ‘All Things Considered’ - I will take your word for it, however I am a little suspicious as Ms. Kelly has only anchored the show for two years this coming month. Before that she was the National Security Reporter, bone fides galore - I bet she can find any country on an unmarked map.
4
Ms. Kelly, your reporting has always been of the highest caliber. Those of us who listen to NPR know that you and your fellow journalists hold yourselves to rigorous standards. Thank you.
When I look at the state of affairs in America, I wonder what has become of us. There has always been a "spin" that politicians have embroidered into their answers, but not the outright lies or obfuscation we now see. But even more important, what is happening to us as a people that thousands will attend one of Trump's rallies for what appears to be the pure enjoyment of salacious and degrading rhetoric? When did politics turn into pure entertainment? And what does it say about those who view it as such?
Like many American families, our family has lost loved ones to war. Other family members served their country bravely and returned home. None of them would recognize our country today.
Trump, Pompeo and most of the Republicans are denigrating everything Americans have fought for over the years. But the real problem is that too many Americans refuse to see what is right in front of them, and the threat it represents to our democracy. When we stop laughing with these vulgar men and women, when we finally hold them to account only them will American be great again.
Continue your good work, Ms. Kelly. Many of us still rely on it and appreciate it.
18
Push. Interesting. The most offensive, and dictionary definition quality push I have witnessed, was Trump pushing that "man" from Montenegro. If I were a journalist I would have taken the time to look up that "man's" name. That's what journalists do ... get facts and spread them. It is a rough job, and now more then ever, dangerous. Thank you NPR and Ms. Kelly.
10
Bullying is certainly the policy and the practice of the Trump administration. What could go wrong?
14
Finally. An adult in the room. Thank you, Ms. Kelly. You and your colleagues keep me glued to NPR.
23
Mary Louise Kelly, you are a perfect example of how a great journalist does their job. I hope students will listen to the Pompeo interview and learn how it's done. Mary, you are a treasure.
22
This was a she said/he said situation. This was a private conversation between Ms. Kelly and Mr. Pompeo. The details were not supposed to be made public. We may never know who is telling the truth.
3
@KMW: How would it be in Ms. Kelly's interest to lie about it? Not supposed to be made public? Are you kidding me? And she already produced emails proving that Pompeo was lying (or incredulously kept in the dark by his staff) about the topics of the interview. Do you also happen to think that a wife should not report on her husband's abuse because it was a "private conversation"? There were witnesses to Pompeo chewing out Kelly using expletives, so it would have gotten out sooner or later anyway. Sorry, but Pompeo was caught with his pants down, and at the very least he should publicly apologize to Kelly.
1
@KMW It was not. When you speak to a journalist, it's on the record unless you specifically ask it not to be. He knows that.
3
Wrong and wrong. Pompeo did not ask Ms. Kelly to go off the record, so all his comments were a part of the interview. This was not a private conversation. Also, Pompeo is a proven liar. If you have listened to Ms. Kelly on NPR you know that she is a thoughtful, thorough, and polite questioner. Can I prove she tells the truth? No. But she has shown herself repeatedly to be more trustworthy than Pompeo.
2
It occurs to me that Secretary Pompeo may have become too used to being interviewed by a TV personality versus a journalist. Mary Louise Kelly is clearly the latter and deserves to be treated with the highest respect by our public servants - as long as her questions and insistence on clear answers are relevant and appropriate.
20
Let us take a brief moment to draw a comparison between Tillerson and Pompeo. Nothing more to say.
8
@KHW, And we still can’t get the trump administration’s sec of state to do the obvious which is vocally and vigorously support a serious anti-corruption ambassador who has without blemish served her country?
1
Mary Louise - I hold you in the highest regard and am sincerely thankful that you are doing what many of us cannot - hold elected officials accountable. I trust you will continue to ask tough questions and represent the democratic, American people. THANK YOU!
21
Frank Bruni did an excellent job in describing Sec. Pompeo's current reality in today's column "John Bolton Gets the Last Laugh". I have no sympathy for him, to be clear, and I admire Mary Louise Kelly professionalism and I am glad we still have dedicated journalists that are tirelessly reporting on the corrosive effects this administration is having on our institution and on our society at large, despite the constant intimidating posture of an administration that has no choice but to be defensive in the face of their blatant incompetence.
13
If you assume the Peter Principle is accurate and that people rise to the level of incompetence, then what we have here is the POTUS promoting someone who has already demonstrated the limits of their capability.
We have a State Department that has been largely gutted and the rest ignored, feckless policies towards North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and general contempt for any and all opinion outside the POTUS orbit. This is not a diplomat working for the United States but a potentate operating some largely obscured and likely self-serving agenda.
I only hope the staff at the State Department keep as good notes and documents as Lev Parnas. I'm sure that will be helpful to the next Attorney General looking into the many conflicts of interest of this administration.
8
And today a roomful of White House personnel, including women and Pompeo, laughed uproariously when the president congratulated Pompeo for excluding NPR from "his" plane.***
They're all despicable and undemocratic.
*** last I checked, that's "our" plane and the Fourth Estate represents "our" interests.
44
As a longtime NPR listener - I just want to say thank you, Mary Louise Kelly. What Pompeo said to you shows that he is either an arrogant bully, afraid of answering your questions truthfully, in this mess way over his head - or most likely, all of the above.Your excellent reporting is needed more now than ever - please keep up the great work!
23
NPR represents fairly middle-of-the-road, milquetoast journalism. It is not known for being nasty or doing things to pump ratings. It's one of the last places one can turn to to hear news content based on reporting, fact checking, and thoughtful analysis. The fact that NPR/Mary Louise Kelly caused Pompeo to fall apart and show his true colors as bully and thug is just one more indication that the Trump administration and their legions are offended by the thought that they owe ANYTHING to We, the People. It's truly frightening how shameless these politicians are. I hope that like me, many others will be sending donations to NPR, which, unlike Pompeo, understands its job and does it.
26
How do we shame and humiliate Pompeo publicly for his misogyny? Why does he get let off the hook? Trump and every member of his cabinet has behaved badly these past three years and it's largely overlooked?
18
At the White House today as the indicted Trump and the indicted Netanyahu unveiled a plan for endless war in the Middle East, Trump praised Pompeo for his abuse of Kelly: "You did a good job on her!" to general laughter and a pat on the back from Alan Dershowitz who claims to be politically opposed to the President as he gives his all to saving him from removal. Their misogyny discredits the whole nation.
22
Who carries around a blank map?!
24
"ooh, is this a game? OK here is Ukraine, now you show me Zimbabwe!
NO?
How about Laos?
No?
Ohh, Mikey, I thought you would be good at this game.....
18
I guess asking Pompeo about Ukraine is sort of like asking a certain candidate about which newspapers she reads.
13
Pompeo's loutishness is mostly from his cowardice and incompetence. Much like his boss.
20
Remember how John Kerry was so snarky and bullying to the press? /s
3
Pompeo is a liar, plain and simple.
22
Trump land is simply incompetent and knows it. They react like children caught by a pop quiz after they failed to do the reading.
11
Yelling and insulting is what a ignorant blowhard resorts to when asked even basic questions.
17
What’s alarming to me is that he actually thought that finding Ukraine on a map was a difficult proposition. As if he himself had only recently learned of its obscure location.
17
This whole Trump regime is made of bullies, they think that by bulling they can have there way. US is a nation that can bully other nations due to their military power, this may benefit them in the short term, but it will unite other nation in blocks that will counter against US this is already happening, in long run it will be a disaster to the US in every way and in particular to its economy. Next election will be crucial as Trump's victory will embolden him and his cohorts to do whatever they want.
11
Pompeo not only owes Mary Louise Kelly an apology, he owes all Americans one. But it won't come, because one thing Trump has normalized is the idea that he and members of his Cabinet are the best and brightest people in the world and they and they alone know what is best for all of us and couldn't possibly be wrong or misinformed about anything, even though they know they are lying through their teeth.
9
The President and his administration have shown repeatedly that any reporting deemed critical of them is "fake". Their purporting that an independent media who's willing to hold them to account and ask them difficult questions is the "enemy of the people" is both un-american and unconstitutional.
And then to high 5 and joke about "doing a good job on her" like a couple of frat boys. Is the President not aware that he's hemorrhaging moderate women? I wonder if he thinks this will help.
11
Unfortunately we have an administration whose officials, mirroring the president, have the emotional maturity and behavior of 2-year olds.
14
Serious, ethical people like Mary Louise Kelly, whether journalists or not, give me hope for the future of our country and the world. It is very easy these days to despair, but having Kelly and her colleagues holding government officials to account helps to temper the gloom. Pompeo's behavior, by contrast, was shameful and loathsome, but unfortunately not surprising from one who has utterly sold out to Trump.
12
This "administration" is made up of bullies. Every one of them. Bullies. And they have no respect for women.
11
The irony is that Pompeo surely knew what he was doing by agreeing to do the interview, right? He knew there would be tough questions which he would not directly answer.
This makes me wonder if this was a set up for him to score points with the Trumpkins and his boss who loves to see the media look bad (in his eyes) by being nasty and demeaning, especially to a woman. That a crowd of people would think this was a wonderful think for a SecState to be doing makes all of us realize how badly the admin is being run.
13
@Blue Guy in Red State
I agree, he’s performing for the “audience of one” - it’s a requirement for job security in this administration.
2
Dangerously powerful, privileged white menen like Trump, Pompeo, and their entire band of Grifters HATE to be confronted with their falsely inflated sense of privilege and superiority.
10
This entire administration is chock full of nuts!
Say what you will about Hillary, but as Secretary of State,
she’s a rock star compared to Mr. Pompous.
Have you seen the Benghazi hearings?
Seems counterintuitive, that for someone who graduated
1st in his class, would understand the credo of our armed
forces: Leave no man/woman behind.
I believe that our S.S. is derelict in his duty, by throwing
our Ukrainian Ambassador under the bus.
First in his class ? Let’s see his diploma and his so called
notification of this accomplishment. I don’t believe it.
14
Why is the press letting Pompeo off the hook so easily? Journalism has become very lazy since the blink of an eye news cycle.
Can you imagine the reaction of Hillary Clinton exhibiting the same behaviour? Or John Kerry? Or Colin Powell? Rice?
This one sticks with me because it shows an incompetent and thin skinned fool at US Secretary of State - but perhaps he fits in with the rest of this stellar cabinet.
10
We love you, Mary Louise! Thank you for your outstanding work and dedication.
12
A sincere thank you to Ms. Kelly and all the thousands of hard-working journalists who risk becoming “enemies of the state” to bring the truth to light.
Ethics, integrity and fairness are basics to good journalism, but, unfortunately, sorely lacking in the White House, its administration and in most of the GOP party today.
Pompeo is crude, defiant and pompous. He’s becoming more dangerous every day, like his boss.
12
I know it’s not the *main* point, but the fact that Pompeo thought it might be hard for any reasonably educated person - let alone Ms. Kelly - to find Ukraine on a map speaks volumes about his own knowledge and competence.
20
Scary. I expect more out from our Government officials. The Administration is acting more and more like the garden variety dictators that we find around the world.
Such petty and demeaning conduct ought not be tolerated from our government officials.
What is the Administration scared of? Perhaps, the truth.
Even if you support the Administration's substantive policies, one needs to protect Freedom of the Press. Where do you stand?
11
What bothers me is that Pompeo agreed to the interview.
Big mistake. Why would he do that knowing that the narrative was already written?
2
Why would he accept, knowing the subject matter, then decide not to answer the questions directed to him?
7
The Iranian foreign minister answered more questions than the US Secretary of State. That doesn’t bother you?
7
Pompeo gives the impression on TV of being arrogant. Now I believe it, and would add that as in most of the current administration, probably has a real problem with confident women in positions of power. Just stating my impression...
9
A TRULY intelligent, well skilled person is able to field ANY question with aplomb.
9
Can't help but wonder if Pompeo would have treated a man the same way.
You can feel the tension in the Trump White House. They know that they're out of their league and have no clue how to run our government effectively. Our foreign policy situation has gone so far south - these clueless bullies have no idea how to exercise diplomacy and further our interests. Their fear is palpable and they're becoming ever more unhinged.
Keep asking good questions Mary Louise! I'm SO grateful for journalists like you!
17
@CD Pompeo is a Conservative Christian. They believe that God made women second class, subservient subjects of men. So of course Pompeo would be outraged and would belittle any woman who asks questions he does not wan to truthfully answer. He didn't get the job because he believes in the Constitution.
6
Another thanks and more admiration for Ms. K.
Anyone who thinks NPR the NYT etc. are not in serious danger from this regime is confused.
9
What I don't understand is why a Secretary of State would blow up and throw a fit over a reasonable question. What is his problem? It seems like this administration is full of men who have trouble controlling their emotions, especially their bile and anger. The temper tantrums emanating from the White House alone are enough to make me question the adminstration's competence and fitness to serve the country.
11
Well, in all fairness, if you worked for his boss, you might be a bit tense too.
6
@Allison : He is a "Conservative Christian." It is an affront to "God's WIll" that a woman would challenge him with a question he doesn't want to truthfully answer.
1
And now POTUS comes to Pomeo's defense in truly erratic fashion. Shades of the "Caine Mutiny". Trump is starting to sound like Captain Queeg. I'm waiting for tweet about who stole his strawberries.
Thank you Ms Kelly for standing tall among journalists.
7
The walls are finally starting to close-in on Trump's co-conspirators and serial liars. Mr. Pompeo, I can point to Ukraine on a blank map, and I can also point to nearby federal prisons. Perhaps you will become more familiar with the latter.
7
Pompeo messed with the wrong woman. Her toughness, focus, attention to detail and overall professionalism drove him to revealing his utter lack of character. Which, of course, makes him the perfect Secretary of State for this president.
9
Being a NEWS journalist, as Ms. Kelly claims to be, means keeping your OPINIONS to yourself. Ms. Kelly was not asking questions, she was picking a fight, and she looked foolish doing it.
You report, we analyze.
How does a publicly funded organization, like NPR, get to choose sides and present such a blatantly biased viewpoint?
Watch them.
They sit around and plot to get rid of the President.
That's not news, that's proselytizing.
1
Ummmmm...no. If you had read the transcript, you would see that in fact she did only ask questions. Apparently ones that he was not comfortable answering and subsequently behaved in a manner I would not accept from my own 5 year old.
6
Did we read the same article. She asked for specifics. That’s it.
3
Maybe you should listen to the actual interview.
1
It has been Trump's conscious effort since entering office to control the free press - one has to only look around the world now and in the past to see the end result where this has been the status quo. The journalists have been devalued, despised, and dangerously targeted by a despotic occupant of the White House who will go to any extreme to silence the voices of truth. Pompeo is yet another Trump lackey whose modus operandi is to belittle, scorn and denigrate the media as well as to bully and abuse women while his duplicitous hand rests on the bible nearby on his desk.
9
This administration is unacceptable on every level.
Trump, Pence, Pompeo, Barr, Mulvaney, DeVos, et al.
The lowest of the low in every meaningful measure.
6
Pompeo is a disgrace to West Point. One of the first rules is to not lie or equivocate. He fails.
8
@Greg H. Worse, Pompeo swore an oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution, not only at West Point but when he became the US Secretary of State. Clearly he lied at least once when he took that oath.
1
After his unmarked map stunt/test, Pompeo claimed that Kelly mistook Bangladesh for Ukraine, which is 3,600 miles away. “It’s worth noting that Bangladesh is not the Ukraine.”
The pompous one actually confused Bangladesh, which is nowhere near Ukraine with Belarus, which borders Ukraine. He failed his own test!
Kelly is more qualified to be Sec of State than Pompeo.
9
He also doesn’t know that China shares a border with India. He also doesn’t know that Nepal and Bhutan are actual countries. I could go on and on...
8
Since Sec. Pompeo is unlikely to apologize for being a jerk, I’ll apologize on behalf of the world that journalists such as yourself have to deal with the worst of the worst. We US citizens are hoping to fire them soon. Well, most of us anyway. In the short term, please, for all of us, keep doing your best.
Thanks
Mark
5
Only Pompeo and Trump can't find Ukraine on a map. Good grief. easy Peasy.
3
Mary Louise Kelly,
Keep doing what you do so well. We all realize we are living in the era of clueless, ignorant and self-righteous administration that considers 'We'll See What Happens' as a core of its strategy around the world. I hope the end is near for this administration before we lose many more innocent lives around the world. West Point and Harvard degrees....what a waste.
7
Dear Mrs. Mary Louise Kelly, don't you worry about figures like pompeo calling you a 'liar'. That pompeo figure is nothing more than one of those moths hovering around the badly smelling candle called 45*. And we all know what happens to moths and candles.
4
Pompeo's actions are shameful and disgusting. I think it's high time we get a woman in the White House! And in my dream scenario, Mary Louise Kelly gets appointed to a senior level cabinet position. VOTE!!!
6
@Concerned Citizen: a lot of women support Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Your assumption that no woman would be just like Trump is b not based on reality. Remember how many women fought against the Equal Rights Amendment.
Women are humans and humans are corruptible.
Excellent points and well done.
Pompeo dismissed you as a Journalist and I suspect as a Female professional during the course of the interview.
Americans demand more transparency from our Top Officials and Sec. Pompeo as well as most of the Trump Administration is well off the mark - time and time again
6
Pompeo is living proof that West Point, with its famous “Duty Honor Country” motto, cannot imbue all of its graduates with a sense of duty to the country over self interest.
6
Thank you, Ms. Kelly, for your good work on behalf of citizens and democracy.
10
The Department of State bills itself as "the diplomatic wing of the federal government." This incident, along with other recent situations involving Mr. Pompeo and his handling of the aftermath, manifest his unfitness to head this this department.
8
I listen to your program for sanity. Just consider the source and keep on keeping on...now more than ever!
9
Thank you for your efforts, but you are posing serious questions to a representative of a comic-book administration. They only play to their fans, and their fans don't ask questions- in Trump they trust. Slippery Mike is probably doing the best he can. If he showed any signs of independent thought or decency he'd be out of a job.
Foreign leaders, by and large, know to ignore pretty much everything this administration says publicly. And I'd like to be optimistic, so I'm predicting that future presidents will not just be able to say it's okay to do something 'because Trump did it'. 'The Trump way' will probably be an insult.
8
Pompeo can’t answer simple questions about his Department, which is revealing about his pathetic incompetence. His attitude and subsequent action pulling another NPR reporter off his tax payer funded trip is revealing about his petty, vindictive, bootlicker, unmanly, chicken-hearted ‘character’.
13
Possibly Pompeo asked you to find Ukraine on the map because he needed help locating it after Trump told him it was in south Jersey
11
I love it when we get to see the real Mike Pompeo when he's not hiding behind his pious Christianity or defending his corrupt boss. Neither poses are very convincing when he can act like this and then laugh as the orange guy makes fun of the reporter..........of course they are sexist beyond repair!
13
Stick to your principles!
4
First off, thank you Mary Louise Kelly for the excellent reporting. You are a top notch journalist.
I was shocked when I listened to the pompeo interview. What an absolute disregard for the role of the free press that man has. For a supposedly well educated person he came across like an arrogant buffoon.
Is this the best the US has to offer? What a shameful display. This is the guy who is representing the US to the world? Really? I’ve talked to 10 year olds that are more articulate. What a jerk.
9
Ms. Kelly, If your questions were after the formal interview ended and “off the record” did you not violate a basic rule of a news reporter?
2
@Msb
It was NOT "off the record."
Period.
If you believe Mike Pompeo over Mary Louis Kelly, you have some serious challenges in character assessment.
10
Kelly did not agree to be off the record. She shared that in an interview I listened to and it has appeared in other news sources.
4
Amazing how the likes of Pompeo feels free to call a real reporter, speaking the truth, "a liar"! Just like his master, Trump.
Also amazing that serial liars like Trump, Pompeo, and Barr try to tar others with the very same "liar" brush that they themselves embody and personify on an almost daily basis!
Talk about pathological behavior! Freud would have a field day.
7
Would Pompeo have tried this with say Glen Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh? Heck, would he have even tried it with any male journalist, conservative or neutral or liberal? I'm 100 % confident that the answer to that is a resounding No. And kicking them off the plane? What next, take your ball and go home?
I hope every member of the press takes every opportunity to expose him for the incompetent, thin-skinned man baby that he is.
Of all the people this administration has, or will, chew up and spit out, Pompeo's inevitable mastication is one I look forward to the most.
7
Well to be fair, those guys would never ask him such hard questions.
1
Ms. Kelly's recitation of the facts and circumstances involving the interaction and confrontation with Pompeo is right on! Accurate. Truthful. Unvarnished. In your face. Blunt. Frank. Candid. And that journalistic approach, presented by a highly intelligent, extremely accomplished, internationally recognized journalist - a female - threatens and intimidates the likes of males of not only Pompeo, but also the Vietnam War draft dodger. Ms. Kelly tells it like it is. For Pompeo to lie, mischaracterize, and malign Ms. Kelly's factual description of this meeting only serves to reinforce in the minds of males, Caucasian males - that women can be bullied, pushed around, and silenced. The pathetic display at the White House today with the draft dodger's co-indicted friend from Israel only reinforced this image of male superiority.
Ms. Kelly is to be applauded for her fierce position, her speaking truth to power. Right on!
The future of journalism is under incessant assault and persistent attack by the likes of the draft dodger who encourages the termination of funding of NPR, PBS, and other programs that enlighten minds and advance positive, robust interaction. If we are not vigilant, we will witness the rise of a propaganda minister the likes of Josef Goebbels. And, that will not happen, period!
9
This administration has unmarked maps lying in wait for Trump to Sharpie his own markings at will. Pompeo is a liar and a bully. Just like his boss who unfortunately is also POTUS.
8
Please note that Ms Kelly did NOT require a Sharpie to show Pompeo Ukraine's location. This "Soprano" adminstration is becoming too predictably disgusting.
9
On a daily basis it is glaringly evident that this administration is run by uninformed bullies with no grasp of any kind of diplomacy, statesmanship or any of the other qualifications to run this or indeed any country. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the citizenry seem to adore bullies, braggarts and liars, and are always ready to ferociously attack anyone who lifts the veil on this nest of moronic vipers.
5
Thank you, Mary Louise Kelly.
10
Bravo Mary Louise Kelly!
10
Thanks for asking this administration of thugs and bullies the hard questions. Americans of conscience stand behind you. 
9
Mary Louise Kelly you a role model!
10
Pompeo is a trump acolyte and has learned his lessons well. If you can not answer meaningfully, attack the questioner. in the eyes of Trump's base it makes you look tough, to the rest of us who are thoughtfully listening Pompeo, Barr or Trump look just plain stupid and in your case, Kelly Ann, misogynistic.
4
Clearly being first in your class does not require you to have any.
4
As anyone with an ounce of intelligence can see, Mike Pompeo is just another morally bankrupt Trump lackey who, along with the rest of the incompetents in the current administration, is out of his depth. His lack of impulse control with Ms. Kelly, like his depraved and thuggish boss, clearly reveals his lack of respect for the First Amendment as well as his condescending attitude toward women, who, I suspect he believes have no business questioning a high ranking buffoon such as himself.
3
Shame on Mike Pompeo. Trying to intimidate a woman.
So typical of this administration.
5
Portly, Pompous Pompeo is a Trump toady. What other kind of behavior can be expected. They all have to go or this country is doomed. It's pretty well wounded already.
7
Mary Louise Kelly's hardnosed approach to her job sure beats the skewied, fluffball-approach FOX news reporters take with theirs.
6
Let's give Pompeo a break.
It must be really stressful for a guy not knowing what his idiot boss is going to say or tweet or do or undo or redo and whether he will go home with the job he had at the start of the day.
2
Mary Louise Kelly is excellent at her job.
Mike Pompeo is a cowardly bully good only at covering for a corrupt president.
Thank you, Ms. Kelly!
7
Thank-you for your service, Mary Louise.
5
Thanks, MLK, for your attempts to get at the truth from an administration that peddles lies. Sorry you had to endure his insults and lies.
4
Just thank you Mary Louise Kelly. I hear your intelligence whenever you speak on NPR. I have yet to hear the intelligence of Mr. Pompeo. . . anywhere.
5
You are a patriot. Thank you.
4
Mary Louise Kelley. You are a class act.
5
Journalism may be what the difference during the impeachment hearings. I root for journalists every day and wonder when they will capture the tipping point that turns the tide faster, away from this fascist path that is taking our country nowhere and hurts so many on the way. As another very good newspaper says, democracy dies in darkness.
5
Pompeo came across as nothing less than a thug. But that’s what Trump likes.
7
Poor Mike Pompeo. After years of distinguished service to his country he becomes the running dog of the worst POTUS in the history of our Republic. He knows it, too. And he got mad at Kelly because her questions threatened to expose just how brown his nose had become.
Sad.
4
It's a disgrace that a graduate of West Point and Harvard has sunk to the same gutter as the uninformed, incompetent and immoral occupant of the White House.
4
Oh, goodie!
Now the next Democratic Administration can bar FOX reporters.
4
I have long admired Mary Louise Kelly and her co-hosts of All Things Considered for asking difficult questions and not accepting facile or evasive answers, especially from politicians. NPR as a whole makes a point of giving informed and even-handed treatment to both sides of our very divided political spectrum. Pompeo’s outburst says a lot more about the the right’s aggressive, ad hominem approach to political discourse than it says about Kelly. The current administration often has to couch their counter-arguments in terms of personal attacks because, when it comes to the substance of the questions they’re faced with, they just don’t have good answers for their behavior.
4
Remember:"
He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas?" How many of us have heard those words (tucked into the backs of our minds by loving parents during our formative years) since the Lead Dog has been up front? Or, how many of us have seen the umpteenth movie version of "The Godfathers?"
Folks, every dog knows his own, and we all have been "re-educated" to understand that the Nation is now under siege by a few... weak, barking dogs with sharp teeth and bad breaths walking around without leashes and are fast attracting hordes of like-in-kind to the growing, hungry pack. Better get your shots for rabies before the possible 'death bite' of November. NOW, because things will get worse before they get better.
5
I agree that the WAY Pompeo treated Kelly would have been different if she were a man.However I believe he would have been just as dismissive. Being a bully he might have sworn more, or maybe even screamed closer to her face using pseudo physical threats, but a bully is a bully.
4
@JM there's very little positive to say about how he behaved/behaves. Yes, he would have treated a male reporter poorly. He (and others in this administration) take the press far more seriously as enemies than they take countries like Iran. After all, while the Iranians could kill thousands of our servicemen and service women, plunge us into an unwinnable war, and tank the global economy, none of those things is likely to hurt Mike Pompeo, personally.
However, even with the assumption that any reporter not working for the Ministry of Truth is an enemy, he would still have treated a male enemy with a measurable dollop of hateful infused respect. This type of temper tantrum would have been much less likely, if for no other reason than the need not to show weakness in front of another man.
1
”Journalists don’t sit down with senior government officials in the service of scoring political points.”
Worth remembering if you happen to tune in FOX “news”.
5
A gracious account, given that Pompeo,like his boss, is simply a bully.
Just the temperament needed for a Secretary of State.
7
My only complaint about your interview was that you interrupted him multiple times. Very annoying to listen to and very rude.
When this administration doesn't get their way they know the road to their bosses heart is to ridicule, belittle, berate.
4
I hope you hit Pompeo with a libel suit Ms Kelly. The evidence is clear that he falsely, very publicly and deliberately lied about your professional abilities (to tell the truth and to know your geography)
3
Mary Louise Kelly is a true professional.
Pompeo is a coward, running scared because he knows he has made an untenable deal in supporting this corrupt administration.
And he is covering up this Ukraine scandal.
Pompeo is like everyone that touches this administration and winds up compromised and shamed and or put in jail.
6
Mary Louise Kelly is a real journalist who is unwilling to allow bullies like Pompeo to get away with lies and evasions. Pompeo has demonstrated a frightening lack of emotional control, especially when challenged by female journalists . This guy doesn’t have the temperament to be a small town police chief, let alone Secretary of State, and yet he clearly has ambitions to be president himself. Another vindictive, sexist, narcissistic bully who needs to be removed from public office
7
Apparently being close to Trump people learn to lie by osmosis. Ms. Kelly, please keep doing your great job.
4
elect a clown, expect a circus. Pompeo has no diplomatic experience. Like many in Supreme Loser's orbit, he has been elevated to a position for which is unqualified.
5
What ? No discussion of whether the rules of engagement that this reporter and Pompeo might have agreed upon were breached? No mention by Kelly of "background," deep background", and "for the record", qualifiers which constrain journalists and which Pompeo contends set the groumd rules for the interview? Maybe that's why Pompeo was so unhappy with Ms. Kelly.
Thank God he's not coming back to Kansas--but what's to be done with such a bully? Where can he be stashed so he can't foment war or further degenerate our Constitution?
3
Mike Pompeo was a jerk in swearing at you in private because you switched the conversation to Ukraine and Marie Yovanovitch. You were a jerk when you reported that private conversation publicly as news.
You should have kept it private. There was clearly a misunderstanding of what the scope of the interview was supposed to be. You may have had an understanding with the press aide, but she may not have told Mike Pompeo what that understanding was. Better to work those things out in private after tempers have cooled.
I've never been a reporter (though I dated one for years in my younger days), but I have been interviewed on several occasions. Often, indeed almost always, I have been misquoted, sandbagged with questions I thought were out of bounds, had off-the-record comments reported on, and/or had my views distorted. I no longer do interviews with any reporter.
Journalists do have a tough job. But they also tend to be pushy, snobbish, glory-seeking, self-righteous, and self-aggrandizing. You report the story. You are not the story. You forgot that here.
1
In an administration that has established many new lows when it comes to its treatment of the press, Pompeo’s treatment of this reporter is the Marianas Trench. He owes her an apology.
3
Your work in Iran was admirable. Your implicit exposure of Pompeo as an enemy of constitutional government equally so.
3
Keep holding their feet to the fire Mary Louise Kelly! You are the last line of defense in our Democracy. Know that the majority of the American people know your integrity is indisputable and that Pompeo is an outright liar.
4
"When a thing is said to be not worth refuting you may be sure that either it is flagrantly stupid - in which case all comment is superfluous - or it is something formidable, the very crux of the problem.'" [Percy Bysshe Shelley]
3
Now I would describe what I just read as be written by someone with integrity and class. Possessing these two qualities immediately disqualify you from being a member of the Trump administration. Enough said!
1
The people listen, read and think, more so when they engage others to learn. We ask each other: “How are you doing?” We answer: “Okay, how are you.” We learn, know, measure ourselves as we get to know others.
These interactions help us build a picture of the world, an image of ourselves. It is free association. The constitution guarantees us the right to free speech, to speak with each other, to speak as a group. Without the manifold, diverse, independent voice of the free press, all these connections, these social and public bonds disappear. The world contracts, withdraws. The public arena goes quiet, disappears. Self-government falters, falls, dies on the road of history. We forget what freedom sounds like.
Support the future: https://quillandscroll.org
1
Pompeo, like all Trumpies, is a snowflake to the core.
4
Considering everything (all things?) Pompeo said, we can now definitively declare that he is no John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Warren Christopher, James Baker, George Shultz, Cyrus Vance, Henry Kissinger, Dean Rusk, et. al. Said another way, Pompeo's diplomacy, strategic, and tactical skills are nonexistent.
10
Thank you Mary Louise Kelly for the work you do in this time of fake news, lies and conspiracy theories put forth by the current trump administration.
I happened to listen to both of your interviews with Pompeo & Zarif. I have to say Zarif sound more intelligent, informed, forthcoming and reasonable than Pompeo did.
It seems trump & Netanyahu are the only ones who wanted to cancel the Iran deal which has caused all of the recent problems with Iran.
Pompeo, an evangelical Christian with a foul mouth is only there because he shows fealty and loyalty to trump and his misguided and uninformed policies. Trump does not hire people for their knowledge or experience only those who show allegiance to great leader.
Pompeo lashed out at you because you were forcing the truth from him. Not something people of his ilk want revealed. Vote 2020 and get the monsters out of the White House!
10
Pompass has taken on the attitudes of his dictator boss when it comes to the press and women. Seems to me in those moments he is forgetting he is an "evangelical" leanings and I wonder if he would allow men to talk to his daughters that way. no one should be surprised at the lowness and depth of despair both men are displaying. Trapped animals often become hostile when wounded and them caged.
6
Has no one in this administration read the Constitution? Does no one in this administration understand what form of government we have? It is shocking that our chief diplomat can't control his temper, its shocking that our chief law enforcement officer can't tell what is right and what is wrong and its appalling that the commander in chief is a coward and a liar. If it weren't for the election being so close I would be concerned that our democracy was at and end.
5
Thank you, Mary Louise Kelly. You’re a fine journalist. Keep holding pompous Pompeo’s feet to the fire!
7
The, perhaps insurmountable, challenge for honest reporters dealing with the Trump administration is how to put questions to, or hold accountable, the Trumpian fetid slime that relinquishes its human form and simply oozes back into its swamp to avoid answering and accountability.
3
Keep up the good work!
3
Background facts.
Ms. Kelly's VS. Pompeo's qualifications in the area of International relations.
I see no mention of expertise, or training, in Pompeo's biography.
His areas were/are engineering and the law.
"Kelly graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1993, studying government and French literature. As a senior editor at The Harvard Crimson, she covered the 1992 Presidential election, and the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton.[3]
In 1995, she completed her master's in European studies at Emmanuel College, Cambridge."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Louise_Kelly
"Pompeo finished first in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he majored in engineering management.[9][13][14]"
"In 1994, Pompeo received a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, where he served as one of 78 editors of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy,[19][20] and on the 81-member board of editors[21] of the Harvard Law Review.[2] After graduating, he worked as a lawyer for the law firm Williams & Connolly in Washington.[22]'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pompeo
1
"You did a really good job on her."~ Trump. Does anyone else note the predatory language of this comment to Pompeo? When I saw this on the news, along with Trump's grin/grimace, I felt a chill.
7
Pompeo's problem is he actually believes journalists when they say this is off the record. Nothing is ever off the record.
I hope he has learned this lesson.
2
@KR - Mary Louise Kelly NEVER said that the interview, nor the subsequent “living room” dress down, was off the record.
1
And, he plans to run for president: I don't think he can handle it. He has no more moral foundation or sophistication than the current crook.
4
Secretary Pompeo is very stressed waiting for the Rapture, and being questioned by an unsubmissive woman requires more intellect than he can make available. When slogans are questioned, insults must be used. Examination of facts must be avoided.
7
Great piece by Ms. Kelly.
This is an excerpt from Trump's comments yesterday on Pompeo (re Mary Louise Kelly) while speaking about his (Trump's) Middle East peace "plan":
"...And, of course, our great Secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. (Applause.) Look at –- whoa. Oh, that’s impressive. That was very impressive, Mike. (Laughter.)
...That reporter couldn’t have done too good a job on you yesterday, right? (Laughter.) I think you did a good job on her actually. (Laughter.) That’s good. Thank you, Mike. Great..."
Pompeo ate it up. He's not only a Trump acolyte and toady, he wants to be like Trump. Any more need be said?
6
Who keeps a blank map hanging around their office? I fear this was a setup and was the first time a prominent reporter was actively targeted to threaten the free press. Will threats of imprisonment for “fake news” be next?
7
I would trust Iran more than Pompeo. He treated this journalist like Trump people treat women. He was despicable. Not surprising. He should have been able to handle these easy questions,but instead he blew up. Follows his leader.
4
Remember: According to the Trump Administration, NPR, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, etc., produce fake news, are biased, and an enemy of (Trump's) people. From this context, one can see why Pompeo said what he said to the reporter: you're dumb, you're a woman, and you can't be trusted. Aside from being course, Mr. Pompeo acts as if the American people are not entitled to be question by anyone other than Fox. That I do not abide.
4
I’m sorry the Secretary of State insulted and belittled this journalist. I am shocked at his uncivil behavior but in the age of trump, it’s perfectly normal. Perfectly normal and perfectly unethical, crude and disrespectful. Have they no shame? The trump presidency is unraveling before us and you’d think they’d
be humbled by it but their abject arrogance continues unabated. Sad!
3
I applaud Mary Louise Kelly, and NPR, for keeping crystal clear their mission and the execution thereof in the face of dogged lies and thuggish threats from the powerful. Ms. Kelly's poise, persistence and professionalism ring reassuringly through the toxic dust cloud of Mr. Pompeo's evasion and subsequent bullying. The most important point in Ms. Kelly's essay speaks to her, and all journalists', most important function: holding the powerful accountable for their oh-so-consequential words and deeds. With exemplary integrity, Ms. Kelly fulfills her charge as truth-seeker and -speaker in the face of unimaginable mendacity and corruption at the highest levels of power.
7
Thank you, Ms. Kelly! I admire your ability to stay on point, despite provocation and attempts to distract. Both the USA and the wider world need journalists who hold those in power to account.
4
Thank you for asking the tough questions, for not backing down and, in so doing, for revealing the true character of another of Trump's henchmen.
6
With all due respect to Ms. Kelly, those are not "tough questions." The fact that Pompeo went ballistic simply represents how bullies choose their victims. They do not go after those who can defend themselves. They go after the weakest, most defenseless targets they can find. NPR is the most obsequious news service in the world. It has bent over backward to avoid offending Republicans with simple questions about obvious acts of treason and espionage. There is this persistent myth that NPR is "liberal." That is because the tyrannical, shameless, belligerent Republican Party equates politeness with liberalism. NPR never thinks outside the box. And the box it thinks in is very, very small. I'm sorry Ms. Kelly and her editors had to see the bloody fangs and claws of our monstrous, criminal government. I wish we could return to the dull drone of normal government, but wishes are not horses.
3
@Big Text you said it, bro! What weird world are we living in that your comment stands out as one of the few critical of NPR's oleaginous reporting standards..Ever since NPR hired Jonah Goldberg, or let someone like Doug Collins drone on, unchallenged, I find NPR very difficult to listen to..Leftist radio, I think not, and hard questions seems to be beyond their abilities.
1
A huge thank you to Ms. Kelly and the many journalists who work tirelessly, asking these tough questions, so we can be made aware of what our government is up to.
Mr. Pompeo was successful in revealing his incompetence and limited emotional intelligence, and he has to know this by now. When I read about his plans to run for POTUS, I laughed. Such a fool only appeals to the weakest of minds.
6
How ironic.
The Foreign Minister of Iran, an ugly theocratic dictatorship that strictly controls the press, treats a probing American journalistic with professional courtesy and responds to questions. And in the 'land of the free' America's Secretary of State project's the current administration's utter disdain for truth, civility, the media and professionalism, refuses to answer questions and verbally abuses the same journalist.
Only in a country where Trump can be president and John Bolton a hero...
Viva Democracy!...
6
"You don't have to be a woman to recognize the misogyny in Sec. Pompeo's behavior. "
After reading the article, misogyny did not even enter my thought process until you mentioned it. There is nothing in this article that suggests misogyny. Perhaps you have seen or read something else which leads to that conclusion. Maybe the "… written slander on State Department letterhead. " contains such. This opinion piece, which I believed to be the focus of these comments, contains no misogynistic content. Mary Louise Kelly does not mention misogyny or anything like it; nor does she suggest such in the content.
1
@sezary - "misogyny did not even enter my thought process until you mentioned it."
Didn't mine either until it was brought up here but i haven't followed pompeo's administration participation more than on a superficial basis until now. I did a quick google dig. Apparently it spurred someone else to think the same thing, misogyny at play, the following came up right away. I stopped there but if i have time i'll try to get a deeper impression if this is actually a pattern with boor later.
Try finding this from international business times if they don't let the link through: "Trump Praises Pompeo For 'Misogyny, Abusive Treatment' Of NPR Reporter". The combined treatments of ms. kelly, the woman reporter not permitted travel with pompeo, and ambassador yovanovitch, makes me wonder if pompeo treats males in the same manner. Perhaps you know, perhaps you don't.
https://www.ibtimes.com/trump-praises-pompeo-misogyny-abusive-treatment-npr-reporter-watch-2911580
Trump hires ambitious people of malleable character and methodically degrades and corrupts them. Pompeo may or may not be a natural bully, but Trump rewards over-the-
-top bullying behavior and so Pompeo reacts like a poodle, performing for the treat. How depressing this is -- watching this process in real time is like living in an Orwell book.
6
This is indicative of the Trump administration's attitude towad anyone who questions the motivations of decisions that have jeopardized all citizens of the US. Pompeo protects his diplomatic ignorance by blaming, diverting and lying. I wonder where he learned these tactics?! The truth always comes out. the problem with Americans is that they believe what they want to believe and ignore the truth. That mentality will serve to be America's downfall.
2
@second directive
Whose fault is it that the interview is only for 10 minutes? Do you know how many months it has been since a White House briefing has taken place? In this country with freedom of press, the administration officials are accountable to the public. Would you be OK if a war broke out just to satisfy the hubris of a few self serving government officials? The damage that these misogynistic, hyper arrogant male chauvinists would cause to the world in a maximum of 8 years that thy might get to serve in power is too big to be discounted.
2
I understand the emphasis Ms. Kelly places on what is out of whack between journalists and government representatives who will or won't allow them to properly pursue their necessary jobs and thus fulfill the all-important role of maintaining a robust, informed free press.
But it bothers ME plenty that Pompeo called her a liar and feels free to resort to smears and lies to belittle her—it astounds me! That man is Secretary of State of the United States of America. He is a misogynist and prevaricator and a water boy for Trump; he should resign. I wonder how our country will ever rebuild its institutions following these extraordinarily corrosive years of the 'Trump Administration.'
2
If you have seen the video of Trump congratulating Pompeo on his treatment of the NPR reporter, and all the back slapping that ensued, shame on their ignorance. Better to see America collapse then become a banana republic. From treason in the last election to a fake impeachment trial in the Senate, this is the Republican party.
4
Pompous Pompeo should definitely take Ms. Kelly along in case he needs help finding any of the countries he visiting . I’m sure she’d be able to find them better than he could .
1
Yet another insight into the disgrace and chaos of the current administration.
Vote to rid the US of this administration. Big Blue Wave in 2020.
2
Was this Mary Louise Kelly or Jim Lehrer?
I could not tell the difference.
Please continue his legacy Ms. Kelly.
3
A former Captain in the Army, then a life of privilege as an attorney makes you think you cannot be questioned and can give everyone else orders.
Identifying Ukraine on a map?
I thought only Trump was that juvenile.
4
My question is how can such an undiplomatic man be our country's "top diplomat?"
7
Thank you so much for asking the tough questions Mary Louise. I hope that we will soon be done of Mike Pompeo and that you are still around long after he is gone, asking the tough questions.
4
I am fully appalled at the unprofessional and bullying behavior that Ms Kelly experienced from our top foreign affairs governmental official. I am even more appalled at the congratulations that Pompeo received from POTUS n a public forum, continuing the war on one of the most basic of American rights (freedom of the press). It is inappropriate and more dictatorial than democratic.
But Ms Kelly missed a huge opportunity to go into the details and the issue. She more or less summarized what we all know. There is a lot more to know and express than a recap and we Americans deserve a full accounting of it including a full essay of the importance of freedom of the press and ability to work without being cursed at, protected by the constitution. Why not explain how the lack of Congressional support hurts these freedoms? Unlike your professional conduct in the interviews, you could have done much better here
1
I understand that MLK's questions were an attempt to get Pompeo to admit that there is no direct diplomacy going on between Iran and the U.S., that the Iranians are now closer rather than farther from creating a nuclear weapon, that the region is more unsafe now than safe and that no, he doesn't owe an apology to Ambassador Yovanovitch because his allegiance is to the President, not to the diplomatic institution he heads.
It isn't Trump we should be fearing as he will be gone in 2020, but people like Pompeo and the other war hawks intent on regime change throughout the Middle East, who believe that the average American is ignorant and easily bamboozled will still be around. We need to get these people out of Washington.
1
MaryLouise Kelly, you are an inspiration and I appreciate soooo much your courage and commitment to intelligence, truth and justice in this world. We need people like you to continue to guide us to higher ground. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
4
I couldn't agree more with what the purpose of journalism should be. I can't ask any administration official the questions I'd like to when they lie, obfuscate, distort or mislead, but a journalist can do it for me. A real one, that is. I only wish they would more often to what Ms Kelly did here: re-ask a question that the interviewee has chosen to ingore. BBC interviewers do this much more often. They seem less worried about offending sensitive egos and being punished with less access afterwards.
4
With all due respect to Ms. Kelly, those are not "tough questions." These are "obvious" questions. The fact that Pompeo went ballistic simply represents how bullies choose their victims. They do not go after those who can defend themselves. They go after the weakest, most defenseless targets they can find. NPR is the most obsequious news service in the world. It has bent over backward to avoid offending Republicans with simple questions about obvious acts of criminality. There is this persistent myth that NPR is "liberal." That is because the belligerent Republican Party equates politeness with liberalism. NPR never thinks outside the box. And the box it thinks in is a cage of civility financed by contributions from wealthy donors. I'm sorry Ms. Kelly and her editors had to see the bloody fangs and claws of our monstrous, criminal government. I wish we could return to the dull drone of normal government, one in which the secretary of state was also polite, perhaps even diplomatic. But I'm just one person of limited means. So, no, no contribution to NPR's fund drive today.
3
Pompeo can handle the stress of authorizing the assassination of an official, but he can’t handle the stress of being asked a few questions?
7
Ms Kelley did what a reporter/journalist is supposed to do: get it right, tell it straight. Pray for the health and welfare of The Fourth Estate. If that goes, so does our democracy.
3
With all due respect to Ms. Kelly, those are not "tough questions." The fact that Pompeo went ballistic simply represents how bullies choose their victims. They do not go after those who can defend themselves. They go after the weakest, most defenseless targets they can find. NPR is the most obsequious news service in the world. It has bent over backward to avoid offending Republicans with simple questions about obvious acts of treason and espionage. There is this persistent myth that NPR is "liberal." That is because the tyrannical, shameless, belligerent Republican Party equates politeness with liberalism. NPR never thinks outside the box. And the box it thinks in is very, very small. I'm sorry Ms. Kelly and her editors had to see the bloody fangs and claws of our monstrous, criminal government. I wish we could return to the dull drone of normal government, one where the Secretary of State is also polite and maybe even diplomatic.
Mary Louise Kelly is doing a great job filling the shoes of her predecessor, Robert Siegel. Both are superior journalist doing their jobs professionally. All of us here recognize the value of a free press unencumbered by whomever is in a position of power.
Pompeo needs to be reminded that he works for us, the people of the United States, and by insulting a journalist because he's offended by an obviously fair question(Ukraine), he thereby insults all of US too.
1
With all due respect to Ms. Kelly, those are not "tough questions." The fact that Pompeo went ballistic simply represents how bullies choose their victims. They do not go after those who can defend themselves. They go after the weakest, most defenseless targets they can find. NPR is the most obsequious news service in the world. It has bent over backward to avoid offending Republicans with simple questions about obvious acts of criminality. There is this persistent myth that NPR is "liberal." That is because the tyrannical, shameless, belligerent Republican Party equates politeness with liberalism. NPR never thinks outside the box. And the box it thinks in is a cage of civility. I'm sorry Ms. Kelly and her editors had to see the bloody fangs and claws of our monstrous, criminal government. I wish we could return to the dull drone of normal government, one in which the Secretary of State is also polite, perhaps even diplomatic.
Mister Pompeo has been tutored well by his boss, who has infamously declared - again and again - the media to be (his) enemy. All the more reason for removing the man from office.
4
Mary Louise, you’re not the first woman journalist to have been demeaned by Pompeo, and unfortunately, won’t be the last one. Bullies are always intimidated when “cornered”. Keep up the good work. We need more people to challenge the powers that be who hold themselves above the law.
2
Soooo, do we know if Pompeo could locate Ukraine on an unmarked map? I have long appreciated journalist Ms. Kelly's thorough reporting on NPR. "Mr. Secretary" showed just how low and mean he is -- reflecting the general tone of this farce of an administration. Mary Louise Kelly, I appreciated reading your op ed today.
4
I wondered if Pompeo really believed Kelly was pointing at Bangladesh when she correctly identified Ukraine on the map.
It's no wonder that Secretary Pompeo has lasted so long as Trump's servant. He has learned from the president he esteems: Create a distraction in the news cycle. Bluster and project. Accuse your opponent of precisely what you are doing. If you are losing, go on the attack. Lie and dissemble. Then double down. Be vindictive.
4
Let's not complain about the facts being presented by the Chinese government's coronavirus monitoring if we are unable to ask for facts/information from our own government.
3
As a long-time NPR listener, I appreciate the seriousness and knowledge that Ms. Kelly brings to her job. I wish I could say the same of Mr. Pompeo (or anyone else in the Trump administration, for that matter).
4
I liked Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert's response to this event.
2
Thanks NPR and thanks to Ms. Kelly for revealing the true nature of Secretary Pomposo.
6
what I find more disturbing then then tirade is that this is another attack on fact based journalism. The idea that the press is some kind of bogeyman biased by liberalism and goes out of their way to lie to the American public is truly scary. There are millions of people that are now drones of FOX that disavow anything that isn't espoused by that channel. This goes from Trump to income inequality to climate all are denigrated by ridiculous theories and outright lies. How can democracy survive if there's no facts? Our democracy depends on a independent press asking tough questions regardless of political affiliation. Politicians serve at the behest of the citizens of the United States and the press serves as the eyes and ears of that citizenry. Trump and his men want a autocratic government and they almost have it with the complete capitulation of the republicans in the senate to not even criticize the president over anything he does. It's time for us to stand with reporters and independent journalists without them we are lost at sea.
4
We live in a civilized world and let's make efforts to respect people.
1
I can appreciate that Pompeo felt pushed against the wall by some of the questioning and the tone of Ms Kelly ( I heard the interview on NPR), but that does not excuse his rudeness and untruthful portraying of the interview.
He could have told her that he didn’t appreciate being asked questions he could not answer because of his position in the government and he didn’t like her tone of voice, period. No yelling and ranting and swearing. Unfortunately anger is the MO of this administration motivation for the actions they take. Pretty scary!
3
Attacks on our press - especially the outlets who report the truth about what is happening to our democracy at the moment - will not only become more frequent should Trump win another term, they will become routine and, dare I say, encouraged. Female journalists especially are subject to attacks that are personal and degrading. I have no problem standing up for them.
At this juncture, I have far more respect for journalists working for reputable news outlets now than I do any member of this administration.
2
It’s terrifying that Pompeo, our top diplomat, has shown himself to be a crude and childish bully. It’s bad enough that he refuses, on a regular basis, to say anything of substance in interviews, but when he lies to a reporter and then retaliates against her organization because she told the truth about him, he reveals a dangerous lack of self control and a vindictive nature. Not a great combination for a Secretary of State.
6
I've admired your reporting and interviewing skills for a long time. Keep up the good work, MLK from MLG.
4
I was thinking of acting as childishly as Pompeo and using expletives to describe his abusive, adolescent behavior but recalled the rule that she or he who resorts to ad hominem
replies in a discussion or argument has shown his or her lack of many things: maturity, self-respect, respect for the recipient and failure to prevail in the discussion or argument.
2
The crux of the problem is that trump and his administration do not want to be held accountable. Do you see or hear trump ever taking responsibility for anything other than his imagined glory. He will even deny knowing someone that he has met and dealt with on numerous occasions and was photographed with. He denies trying to pay off Stormy Daniels. He denies trying to extort the Ukraine and cheating the students at his "university". This is just a short list. Is it any wonder that the world laughs at him and no one takes his "promises" seriously.
3
Ms. Kelly, thank you for your fearless professionalism and dedication to the pursuit of truth as a practitioner of the rights enshrined in the First Amendment.
But misquoting Shakespeare, “the lady doth NOT protest ENOUGH.”
Pompeo’s bullying, lying and subsequent ban of a different NPR reporter from covering an official diplomat trip IS A CLEAR ABUSE of the FIRST AMENDMENT.
Me.Kellynand NPR should appear on every news show, published on its website and fill the airwaves with official protest, and back up he rhetorical attacks with court action.
Mr.Pompeo is a true believer of the Trump policy of maximum pressure in lieu of diplomacy.
2
If you're surprised that Pompeo is a lacking respect for a female reporter, you've missed the big picture. The entire GOP is anti-woman. Just look at all their policies, enacted and proposed. That's why they have to work to steal elections. They can't win in the marketplace of ideas.
5
Why, oh why, do we insist on equating intelligence with scholastic pedigree?? A lot a comments here rely on Pompeo's West Point and Harvard education as some sort of litmus test for intelligence. Far be it for me to suggest that the man is dumb but what I'm looking for is successful performance and I ain't seen it yet nor have I heard of it in any job that he has done. Feel free to disabuse me of this idea.
4
@A. jubatus Most people who go to West point couldn't work their way out of a paper bag.
2
We're pretty sure Trump can't find Ukraine on a map. He certainly can't find Pearl Harbor in history. He assuredly can't find his own State department building! It must be an added insult to Sec't Pompeo that his boss does not use diplomacy in any recognizable way and does not respect him or his craft.
4
Mary Louise Kelly's interview was a brilliant example of journalism. Her questions set the table for Pompeo to demonstrate the superlative statesmanship he is (allegedly) regarded for; instead he offered only platitude-laced puffs of gas. It should come as no surprise that a capable, confident journalist presses for clarity when confronted with terse, flippant responses.
Is it possible, as the Senate inches toward witnesses, he is feeling a bit defensive in general? Methinks Mike doth protest too much.
Donating to NPR today.
5
I find it interesting that Trump, Barr and Pompeo share something in common - deep insecurities as to how knowledgable they are perceived. They bully, shout, boast and act condescendingly because they realize they are walking houses of cards that can fold at any moment. Witness Harris's verbal takedown of Barr in the Senate in full view of millions. Or Pompeo's 'we'll stop them' comments on Iran - which are clearly responses indicating he has no clue what we'll do. As for Trump? I wouldn't be surprised he called Putin to pinpoint the exact whereabouts of UKraine. America's best and brightest are not leading us, that is for sure.
5
t appears obvious from Pompeo's behaviour that he is under great stress. Considering his West Point training and career in intelligence, trying to stay close enough to Trump to do his job at the complete loss of his self-respect and personal integrity must be hard on him. No doubt, it affects his temper.
Of course, he could resign on principle, as did Gen. Mattis. Rudy Guiliani could then take over as SecState. These are difficult times.
1
The entire administration and, even, the entire Republican Party. has not gotten themselves so deeply imbedded in lies after lies and corruption upon corruption that there is no one left among them who will or can tell the truth about anything.
3
"Journalists don’t sit down with senior government officials in the service of scoring political points."
If we eliminate the 'Fox' propagandists AND the English talking head interviewers, you're correct.
1
Thank you, Mary Louise Kelly, for your thoughtful comments, and your steadfast commitment to journalism.
4
To me the most important revelation in this interview was not that Pompeo is a self-satisfied, arrogant, misogynist. I already knew that. It was that he reiterated what we already knew about Trump from his overhead phone call with Sondland. Namely, that neither one of them cares about the country of Ukraine and they also believe that the majority of Americans don't care either. Certainly not enough to be able to locate it on a map. For pete's sake, he is our Secretary of State. Everyone country should be valuable to him, especially a fragile ally at war with Russia.
2
I hope Pompeo's performance finally puts to rest the canard that women are too emotional and "moody" to be president. Someone clearly needed a time out here and, hint, it's not Kelly.
2
Mr. Pompeo is a disgrace to West Point from which he graduated, to the State Department whose professionalism he has tarnished, and to the country he is serving so poorly.
It's ironic, considering for whom he works, that Pompeo would bet a lifelong journalist specializing in foreign affairs that she couldn't find the Ukraine on a blank map.
Does anyone think Trump could?
4
I am not surprised by Pompeo's disrespect of a fine journalist, but I am sincerely disappointed. Mary Louise Kelly and we as citizens deserve better from the people in power who are supposed to be serving our nation.
Floridians will remember!
2
Is anyone surprised that a trump guy would be mean, angry at being challenged by a woman, and vindictive? That's kind of their brand, isn't it? That's "how they roll".
And his comment that "Bangladesh is not Ukraine" suggests that maybe HE got them mixed up himself, or that he meant to say Belarus--which is actually on the same continent as and next door to Ukraine. I guess it's just as well he didn't say Brazil or Bolivia.
1
Pompeo is panicking for one simple reason. The man is desperate to be president. His erratic, authoritarian behaviour is a growing reminder of why that must never, ever happen.
Keep fighting the good fight, Mary Louise! We are all behind you. Thank you for standing up to this bully.
1
Seth Meyers summed it up succinctly: "Not only is she qualified for her job, she’s more qualified than you are for your job.”
We have a crass, Trump adult club bouncer look alike (and behaves like one), masquerading as the Secretary of State. Incompetence personified.
Hail to Mary Louise Kelly. Keep up the great work.
1
Thank you Ms. Kelly for your commitment and brilliant work as a journalist. It is horrifying that Pompeo was so rude, useless, and boorish.
Now where do I order the Pompeo bag that Stephen Colbert had last night?
Pompeo is Trump's boy. Is anyone surprised that he acts like Mr. Trump, with evasions and insults? I guess the West Point code of honor ends where the White House begins.
Pompeo, the president and most others in his administration demonstrate time and again what they think of the media-- or anyone-- who challenges their actions or tries to get the truth out of them or does not agree with them. They attempt to convince America that the media are "enemies of the people" and unpatriotic, that they just, across the board, make things up. It is one of the most dangerous pieces of propaganda they promote. And isn't it ironic that the head of the State Department, the leader of diplomats who are supposed to act with tact and decorum, yells, curses and condescends to a top tier journalist then laughs about it with his buddies? These are the people who represent us world-wide? It is shameful and scary.
1155
@MJM, I had the same thought. America's top diplomat has proven he does not know how to be diplomatic.
105
@Chad Verly, unfortunately, that might be one reason Trump chose him.
70
@Karen Lee
Agree with all of the above. He's a disgrace & a menace to the office he holds.
Conservative blog The Bulwark has a trenchant commentary on the episode very much worth a read, and suggests his ultimate aim is to be Don II (oh God no!): https://thebulwark.com/mike-pompeo-is-the-worst/
15
Kelly says nothing about what provoked Pompeo. Why not? He's a pretty easy target, very hard to like. Kelly just wraps herself in the flag and gives herself credit for existing. If there was some genuine misunderstanding in expectations or points of view about the interview, Kelly does not throw any light on the subject. It feels like she and Pompeo should both answer a few "tough questions."
I just made a donation to my local NPR station. I encourage all readers to do the same.
8
Thank you, Mary Louise Kelly, for this piece, refocusing the discussion on the damage being done to both international relationships and to our Democracy by the inepititude of this administation.
The misogyny , bullying and downright meaness is one thing. The risk to our country, to American lives (our women and men abroad), and to the safety of the world is paramount.
Thank you for taking the "high road," and demonstrating to Mr. Pompeo that we have graver concerns than his Fourth-grader school-yard bullying raised.
6
I just listened to Steve Inskeep harass Elizabeth Warren about "admitting" she wants to take away people's "choice" in health care in an interview on NPR, while completely ignoring the fact that Medicare gives most people more choice in doctors, with the trade-off of limiting choice in insurance companies. NPR has become truly despicable in their attempts at "both-sides" journalism and their desire to appear unbiased, while simultaneously normalising this administration and it's enablers.
While Pompeo is beneath contempt in many ways, including this instance. NPR has actively helped contribute to the sad situation we find ourselves in today. The truth stopped being in the middle a long time ago. Jay Rosen, a media critic and professor at NYU wrote shortly after Trump's inauguration that in the age of Trump, media could either be truthful, accurate, and informative, or it could try to appear unbiased. They couldn't do both. To appear unbiased in the age of Trump is to normalize lies and manipulation. This seemed obvious at the time, and even more so now. NPR and the NYT should really ask themselves what their true function is.
8
I couldn’t agree more! Healthcare “choice” is a complete falsehood created by the insurance lobby.
Nobody, except the very wealthy, can choose any doctor they want. You choose from among those approved by your insurance carrier, and we choose the insurance carrier our employer offers.
Similarly, “death panels” already exist. If we face an end of life situation, it is the insurance company who decides whether to pay for the machines and end of life care. We have no idea up front what they will decide.
2
@Eric I listened to that interview this morning, and Steve, as he does with any political figure he interviews, was attempting, politely, to have Warren answer his question. Warren, like most political figures, was not answering directly the direct question he asked. I was glad, as always, to hear that NPR is treating both Democrats and Republicans alike. Your comment really doesn't make any kind of sense.
By the way, I fully back Warren for president.
@MMNY
@MMNY
It was the question itself that was the problem. It was a dishonest, loaded question. As Marshall wrote above, former insurance company executives have admitted that the "choice" issue was intentionally pushed as a way to muddy the issue and protect their profits. If one side is lying and the other side is not, it does no one any favors (except the liars) to question both parties in the same way. That's the issue with "both sides" journalism - it legitimizes intentional falsehoods for the appearance (as opposed to the reality) of fairness.
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The reality is that public figures are not interested in providing information to the press except when it suits their purposes through leaks. They are coached on how to spin the news to further their goals and candor is not desirable. This is why I never listen to the sound bites and interviews of politicians in the media.......just a waste of time.
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I was energized and heartened by this interview. Pompeo was evasive and imperious; Mary Louise Kelly was persistent and focussed, refusing to accept Pompeo's vague "We will stop them"
assurances. Her determination to get a straight answer reminded me of the sharp questioning used by many BBC reporters. It also exposed a true "enemy of the people."
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You don't have to be a woman to recognize the misogyny in Sec. Pompeo's behavior. Our Secretary of State, chief diplomat, showed himself to be unfit for his job in the way he verbally abused Ms. Kelly both in his office and in his written slander on State Department letterhead. It is imperative that such lack of basic courtesy be known to us, the people who pay his salary. Many people are fired for far, far less. But Pres. Trump is the boss.
Indeed, today at the White House during a reception for the indicted Netanyahu, a large room of mostly men, was entertained by Pres. Trump's piling on to further attack Kelly. Trump said gleefully, "You did a good job on her." Pompeo was visibly pleased with the praise and laughter. A greatly amused Alan Dershowitz who was sitting behind him reached forward to give Pompeo a congratulatory clap on the back. Professional women doing their jobs must not be subjected to bullies. Ms. Kelly has an important report on the state of American diplomacy and national security. The bullying behavior of Trump and Pompeo is indicative of the grave problems at the very top levels of our government.
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@KAB Totally disgraceful.
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@KAB These kind of situations point to the reasons we cannot tolerate casual misogyny or disrespect of the press in our government going forward.
How can we trust Pompeo to respect female heads of state or fellow diplomats who happen to be women? Is he to only represent our country to male counterparts and women who aren't brave enough to ask him tough and straightforward questions?
What Mary Louise Kelly asked of him was not unexpected or outside his purview. He just did not want to be challenged or contradicted. How ironic that he plays the tough guy every chance he gets. Can't even handle routine questions about his job.
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@KAB This behavior is disgraceful. Each of the smirkers should be consequentially reprimanded with apologies appropriated; failing that, they should simply be dismissed from their duties, period. They should not be paid by those they represent, that is men, women and children of America.
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Thank you for doing your job so professionally. Facts and accountability are vital.
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I frequently hear Sec. Pompeo misstate and lie in interviews. And he often is disdainful of "the previous Administration." (I get the feeling he doesn't even want to utter the name "Obama.") In this NPR interview, he was true to form in all of these manners, suggesting that the US had "given" Iran money as part of the JCPOA instead of unfreezing assets that already belonged to Iran. Based on Marie Yovanovich's sworn testimony and resignations from the State Department because of his leadership, he surely lied about having supported all employees. I could hear him seething about being asked about this. And it's the antithesis of diplomacy to treat any person with such venom and to issue a nasty, official statement on State Department letterhead. How is it that such an angry man is heading our diplomatic corps? What a contrast in manner to our career diplomats, and how unfortunate that he's being congratulated for his behavior instead of being fired.
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He took back his marbles, called you a name, and sulked away. A boy doing a man or woman's job.
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I'm proud of you Mary Louise Kelly. Keep asking probing questions and be the professional you are.
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Mary Louise Kelly is an excellent reporter. Mike Pompeo is lapdog to this toxic administration. Nuff said.
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I don’t like how the journalist has interjected herself into this story and then she writes about it.
Not professional
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@Mark
I have seen the kind of writing Mark is talking about, and I share his opinion of it, but in this case the Kelly - Pompeo interaction is the story, making it hard to keep her out of it.
Plus: this is an Opinion piece and is so labelled.
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@Mark: Huh? She commented on the Pompeo's vicious attack on her for reporting the truth. Isn't that part of the story when a government official calls a reporter a liar about what that official said? Pompeo made his treatment of her part of the story.
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@Mark
I don't like how your Secretary of State went into a tirade and verbally abused a woman for having the temerity to ask him a tough question.
That IS the story. It shows the man's lack of quality.
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Journalists should be adversarial with people in power. What does Pompeo expect? He's a jerk, fitting in perfectly with the Trump administration, applauded by millions of Trump supporters. What a great country!
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@tanstaafl
It isn't necessarily adversarial to demand a forthright accounting.
I haven't read all of these comments, but I read enough to wonder what opinion piece they were reading? First, Kelly provided the two interviews in the piece to illustrate that tough questions were asked of both. My reading of the answers for both is that one diplomat answered them more directly and one diplomat obfuscated. She never said that, and actually did point out that in some cases the diplomat from Iran reluctantly answered after additional questions. I certainly didn't need her to tell me that Pompeo was talking around questions with indirect responses; when I heard the interview right after NPR released it, his responses made me wonder where he has been for the last three years?
For those who feel this was political - well, she was interviewing two diplomats from two countries in conflict. OF COURSE, it is political. However, don't conflate political as partisan balderdash to be ignored. She didn't say anything political, nor polarizing. Pompeo never answered her questions; diplomacy is NOT spouting the one- liner you want to get on Fox news. We all need to stop making the word "political" a cuss word. There's only one way to do that. Put people in positions who can do the job.
I'm grateful to Mary Louise Kelly for continuing to do get job, and NPR for its existence!
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Bravo, MLK...
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This is Trump Syndrome, boiled down to its essence. We have an administration full of, to be charitable, half-qualified dimwits with short fuses and no attention spans, who are in The Game for the power and money alone. They are ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with (or cower before) world influencers whom they perceive as “strong”. They have no concern for the beautiful or the disadvantaged; as a matter of fact, they are ready to run roughshod over both to get the victor's spoils, while piously wrapping themselves in the flag, the Right to Life, and their hypocrite's Christianity. Like any predator doing things it knows are wrong, they prefer to operate in the shadows and not be questioned. Small wonder they hate journalists. You keep on keepin' on, Ms Kelly.
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What strikes me here, comparing the two interviews, is that Iran's Sarif answers short, sweet, and to the point - easily understandable. Pompeo's answers are none of that - they are obscure non-answers to the questions she asked.
I once lived in a country that at the time was a dictatorship. Pompeo's obvious contempt for the press is to me an eerie and frightening echo of that dictatorship.
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As a JOURNALIST reporting news, Ms. Kelly, you're also supposed to forego offering your opinion.
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This is an opinion piece. The original interview was not. I've heard many of Ms Kelly's interviews on NPR. Never interjects opinion, just asks the tough questions that should be asked.
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@Raz
That's what she did, here. Did you miss all those questions and answers?
And then all those questions that Pompeo would not answer? And his subsequent verbal attack?
That's called reporting.
@Raz That's not an opinion. She's just reporting what happened and telling you what her job is. Her job is to "inform" you.
Maybe it doesn't bother Ms. Kelly, but it should bother every American when the Secretary of State falsely attacks respected journalists as "liars."
Pompeo is a soldier in Trump's war on the press, which is straight out of the Russian autocrat's playbook.
We must not get used to this.
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If journalists like Mary Louise Kelly don't hold this administration accountable who will?
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Thank you, Mary Louis Kelly. You go girl!
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The summer soldier Donald Trump could not find Ukraine on a labeled map. The sunshine patriot Mike Pompeo could not find his morals and his decency and his honesty without a scanning electron microscope. Godspeed, Mary Louise Kelly. You are the real deal.
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MLK, YOU ROCK!
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Pompeo is a lot like his boss: pompous, arrogant, and uncouth. These are not good qualities for a statesman, nor for anyone else, for that matter.
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Character counts. She was respectful, he was a jerk. He's Secretary of State for god's sake. The lack of professionalism in the entire administration is so very disappointing.
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Secretary of State Pompeo as top academic student of West Point and Harvard Law School should understand the concept of freedom of the press. NPR, is not an advertising agency. Sorry that the Trump Administration does not understand that our form of government requires an informed citizen.
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The Iranian foreign minister showed more respect and answered questions with much more candor than our Sec. of State. The irony of course is that Iran practices state censorship and we do not...
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Inviting her to his office to berate and swear at her was not merely another spdisplay of the administration's mysogony, but a deliberate action meant to futher strategic manipulation of the media.
The Republicans need the rural vote if they are to prevail in November. When you drive through these areas, in addition to Christian talk shows and right wing media, NPR is ubiquitous --not the full time broadcasts that urban areas enjoy, but the hourly news updates.
The Trump administration is proposing to end government support of NPR. Trying to curb media they don't control in rural Trump country I believe was the subtext for Pompeo's outrageous behavior and Trump's highlighting of it in a major press conference with Netanyahu.
Creating phony outrage with an NPR reporter to rile the base to garner support for defunding NPR to prevent even a sliver of reality to permeate the alternate universe the Trump administration is promoting--that's the real story.
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There was no excuse for Mike Pompeo to ever use profanity against Mary Louise Kelly but I wonder what the nature of the swearing was? I detest profanity and do not take part. Unfortunately, today many Americans use the most vile and crass language. It has become commonplace.
I am not defending Mike Pompeo’s behavior, but was he upset with Ms. Kelly’s line of questioning. This may have been a factor. Sometimes words just flow out when people are upset. It happens and after a person realizes this, they are embarrassed. I wish we knew more about what occurred during the encounter.
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@KMW
There's a link in the article to Ms. Kelly's description of the incident.
The Secretary of State is in a position where he should not let "words just flow out." That is pretty much the opposite of diplomacy.
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@KMW
He's supposed to be a diplomat. Shouting abuse at someone is not diplomacy; it's a temper-tantrum.
1
Journalists walk a fine line. They are required by their profession to ask tough questions and press for answers. At the same time, they must maintain the discipline to avoid headline-grabbing for its own sake or optics that appeal to their personal views. They must also - and it's especially clear these days - avoid getting trapped into "off-the-record" conversations in which they may learn things that need to be reported.
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Many have already expressed my thoughts but I wanted to weigh in just to support journalists in general and Mary Louise Kelly in particular.
I listed to both interviews. She was calm, well prepared and diligent in asking follow-up questions. She is probably my favorite NPR journalist. Which is saying a lot.
Please keep the faith Ms. Kelly. You are doing an excellent job.
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Thank you Mary Louise! I deeply appreciate your efforts to learn the truth and share it with the world. Without a free press, we're nothing more than a banana republic.
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Mary Louise Kelly,
Dutton Peabody would be very proud of you. As am I.
https://americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechlibertyvalence2.html
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Reading through the comments, I see some people feel like Kelly is too pushy with her questioning. I listened to her interview with Pompeo, and she was professional and polite at the same time she was not letting him off the hook. I think this is what makes her one of the best at her job. In England, the BBC does exactly the same type of interview. This is what we need to see more of in our reporting, since too often the people inside the Trump administration avoid answering the questions and use up the time by blathering on about nothing. And too often others let them get away with their appalling non-answers. I applaud Ms. Kelly for being able to conduct interviews that matter to the American public. I applaud NPR for standing with her. This is why I support NPR and my local affiliate. Its standards are above reproach, which is more than what I can say for Pompeo and the rest of the Trump administration.
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@Julie: If man does it it is "Doing his job." If a woman does it it is "Being pushy."
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NPR is crucial to our ability as citizens to know and understand what's happening in our fragile country and dangerous world. Since its finances are also fragile, we need to support it by opening our wallets. And offering reporters like Mary Louise Kelly our heartfelt thanks.
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This essay doesn’t address the Ukraine questions she posed. I am on the side of transparency, however I would have preferred Ms. Kelly allow her guest to finish his statements rather than interrupting him. His answers re: Iran were insufficient given his position. With regard to this essay, however, the claim that her Ukraine questions were NOT used to score political points is not supported - especially since she juxtaposes her interview with the Iranian official against the Pompeo interview.
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"Journalists don’t sit down with senior government officials in the service of scoring political points. We do it in the service of asking tough questions, on behalf of our fellow citizens. And then sharing the answers — or lack thereof — with the world."
If only more media outlets saw this as part of their job. Unfortunately, too many see themselves as propaganda arms of this or that political movement or politician.
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What previous secretary of state was most like Mike Pompeo? I need a reference to develop some perspective. Should historians evaluate him outside the context of Trump? That would be invalid scholarship. I think it would be incumbent upon any historian to compare the behavior of each Republican legislator and member of the executive branch before and during this presidency. Then each of us might ask the question of how we might act in similar circumstances. Not to excuse his behavior, but, if we are honest, to realize that we might not be that different.
If freedom of the press were not guaranteed by the constitution, how much would we have under Trump?
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It's somehow funny that "people charged with steering the foreign policy of entire nations" was used to describe what is actually the process in the Trump administration. Pompeo isn't a free actor, his position is to take the decisions made by Trump and Fox, not necessarily in that order, and twist words, actions, and everything he does to carry his marching orders.
Pompeo has also shown how he is becoming Trump in another body by berating others who disagree with the DJT/Fox directions. In all possible situations any citizen of this country or most others can predict what Pompeo will do.
4