Radio reporter says Pompeo cursed at her after testy interview
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[January 25, 2020]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cursed at a National Public Radio
reporter and repeatedly "used the F-word" in a shouted diatribe after
she questioned him about Ukraine and the ousted American ambassador to
Kiev in an interview on Friday, the reporter said.
Mary Louise Kelly conducted a testy interview lasting about nine minutes
with Pompeo for NPR's "All Things Considered" program, asking him about
Iran and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who was
ousted by President Donald Trump last May. Yovanovitch's removal was a
key event in the actions that prompted Trump's impeachment in the House
of Representatives last month.
"Afterwards, Pompeo proceeded to shout his displeasure at being
questioned about Ukraine. He used repeated expletives, according to
Kelly," NPR said in a statement.
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"He asked, 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?' He used the
F-word in that sentence and many others," Kelly said in an interview of
her own with NPR later on Friday.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
Kelly said Pompeo shouted at her "for about the same amount of time as
the interview itself." Pompeo then had aides bring a blank map of the
world and asked Kelly to show Ukraine.
"People will hear about this," Pompeo said after Kelly pointed at
Ukraine on the map, she said.
When Kelly turned her questioning to Ukraine in the latter part of the
interview with Pompeo, he said he had agreed to discuss only Iran.
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![](../images/012520pics/news_a5.jpg)
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks on during a joint news
conference with Costa Rica's President Carlos Alvarado (not
pictured) at the Presidential house in San Jose, Costa Rica January
21, 2020. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
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Kelly said she had informed Pompeo's aides that she would ask also
about Ukraine, and posed several questions, including whether Pompeo
owed an apology to Yovanovitch, who testified last year in the House
impeachment inquiry about her ouster. The incident also has figured
in Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate.
"I have defended every State Department official. ... I've defended
every single person on this team," Pompeo replied.
In November, Pompeo declined to defend Yovanovitch after Trump
attacked her on Twitter.
Yovanovitch was removed by Trump following a negative campaign
against her by his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and others.
Giuliani at the time was pushing to have Ukraine investigate Trump's
political rival Joe Biden.
(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing
by Will Dunham)
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