ALL NEWS

Reporter says Mike Pompeo cursed, demanded she find Ukraine on map

Jan 25, 2020, 6:46 PM

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during the III Hemispheric Ministerial Conference of Fight...

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during the III Hemispheric Ministerial Conference of Fight Against Terrorism in Bogota, on January 20, 2020. - Pompeo called on Monday for cooperation in the struggle to remove Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro from office amidst a chronic economic crisis in the South American country. (Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP) (Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

(CNN) — A reporter for National Public Radio said Friday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo screamed obscenities and demanded she prove she could find Ukraine on an unmarked map after she asked — and Pompeo refused to answer — whether he owed former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch an apology.

The alleged incident took place after the taping of an interview that aired on NPR’s “All Things Considered” Friday. Pompeo instead replied to NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly question by saying, “You know, I agreed to come on your show today to talk about Iran. That’s what I intend to do. I know what our Ukraine policy has been now for the three years of this administration.”

He then repeatedly tried to end the interview as Kelly continued to press him on the matter. To her last question on whether Ukraine policy had been hijacked, Pompeo replied, “I’ve been clear about that. I know exactly what we were doing. I know precisely what the direction the State Department gave to our officials around the world about how to manage our Ukraine policy.”

Kelly told listeners in a broadcast later on NPR that after the interview she was called back into Pompeo’s living room at the State Department, where the outburst then unfolded.

“What is happening (at the end) there is an aide has stopped the interview, said, ‘We’re done, thank you,’ and you heard me thank the secretary,” Kelly said on air after the fact. “He did not reply — he leaned in, glared at me, and then turned and with his aides left the room.”

Kelly said that moments later, “That same staffer who stopped the interview reappeared, asked me to come with her — just me, no recorder — though she did not say we were off the record, nor would I have agreed.”

Kelly was brought to Pompeo’s private living room, she continued, “where he was waiting and where he shouted at me for about (the) same amount of time as the interview itself had lasted.”

Pompeo was displeased about the Ukraine questioning, and asked her, “Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?” Kelly said, adding that “he used the F-word in that sentence and many others.”

Pompeo then asked Kelly if she could find Ukraine on a map, she recounted, and when she said that she could, “He called out for aides to bring us a map of the world with no writing.”

“I pointed to Ukraine. He put the map away. He said, ‘People will hear about this,'” Kelly said. “And then he turned, said he had things to do and I thanked him again for his time and left.”

In a statement Saturday, Pompeo claimed that Kelly “lied to me, twice,” without specifying exactly what was said.

“NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me, twice. First, last month, in setting up our interview and, then again yesterday, in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record,” he said.

Pompeo in his statement, though, did not dispute Kelly’s overall characterization of their exchange and seemed to corroborate Kelly’s account that he challenged her with an unmarked map.

In response, NPR stood by its reporting.

“Mary Louise Kelly has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity, and we stand behind this report,” Nancy Barnes, NPR’s senior vice president of news, said in a statement.

Kelly had said the aide who ushered her over to meet with Pompeo after the interview asked her to come without a recorder, but did not say the exchange would be off the record.

Kelly also said that NPR had reached out to the State Department to inform them that the outlet would be reporting on the interview’s aftermath, but had not heard back. The news comes in light of Pompeo’s impending trip to Ukraine next week — the country at the heart of the currently ongoing impeachment trial.

Several Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote to Pompeo on Saturday, expressing “profound disappointment and concern” and slamming the secretary’s statement as “irresponsible.”

“At a time when journalists around the world are being jailed for their reporting — and as in the case of Jamal Khashoggi, killed — your insulting and contemptuous comments are beneath the office of the Secretary of State,” the Democrats said in a letter dated Saturday, referring to the Washington Post columnist who was murdered in Saudi Arabia in 2018.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

All News

The OLRGC released an analysis of the expected topics to be discussed during a special session of t...

Simone Seikaly

Extending state flooding emergency, firearm restrictions, among topics for Utah special session

The OLRGC released an analysis of the expected topics to be discussed during a special session of the legislature.

11 months ago

A video recorded by Facebook user Larry Jacquez shows the police response following the shooting in...

Jamiel Lynch, CNN     

At least 3 people killed and 2 officers wounded in a shooting in Farmington, New Mexico, police say

Multiple people were shot and at least three killed in a shooting in Farmington, New Mexico, police said in a Facebook post.

11 months ago

A new release from Intermountain Healthcare shows that younger adults are becoming more susceptible...

Waverly Golden

Younger adults are becoming more susceptible to strokes

A new release from Intermountain Healthcare shows that younger adults are becoming more susceptible to stroke.

11 months ago

If you plan to camp over Memorial Day Weekend, you may want to begin the planning process now....

Allessandra Harris

Camping over Memorial Day Weekend? Plan ahead

If you plan to camp over Memorial Day Weekend, you may want to begin the planning process now.

11 months ago

slcpd on the scene of the deaths...

Josh Ellis

Police: Teen killed by father in murder-suicide in SLC office building

Police responded to the office complex near 3000 S. Highland Drive on Saturday after emergency responders received a call from a community member who reported finding a body.

11 months ago

Melissa Coleman crouches next to her husband, , Brad Coleman, of North Ogden, who sits in a wheelch...

Jenny Carpenter, KSL.com

Young stroke victim survives with quick, lifesaving treatment in northern Utah

After a 36-year-old man had a stroke, he and his wife say to be aware of the signs of stroke and that young people are also at risk.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

close up of rose marvel saliva blooms in purple...

Shannon Cavalero

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Utah

The best drought tolerant plants for Utah can handle high elevations, alkaline soils, excessive exposure to wind, and use of secondary water.

Group of cheerful team members high fiving each other...

Visit Bear Lake

How To Plan a Business Retreat in Bear Lake This Spring

Are you wondering how to plan a business retreat this spring? Read our sample itinerary to plan a team getaway to Bear Lake.

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...

BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.

Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a New Winter Activity? Try Skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.

Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...

Intermountain Health

Five Common Causes of Cervical Cancer – and What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.

Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get Ready for Fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

Reporter says Mike Pompeo cursed, demanded she find Ukraine on map