Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s vendetta in opposition to NPR has apparently simply begun. The secretary of state made headlines over the weekend for a reportedly explosive post-interview alternate with NPR journalist Mary Louise Kelly, who interviewed the secretary of state Friday about Ukraine and his lack of public assist for former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. After the testy interview, Kelly reported that she was ushered into a non-public room, the place Pompeo “shouted his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine” utilizing “repeated expletives,” telling Kelly, “Do you suppose Individuals care about Ukraine?” NPR’s report of the alternate prompted Pompeo to launch an announcement Saturday calling Kelly a liar and smearing the “unhinged” media—and now, his State Division is taking additional steps to seemingly punish NPR for his or her reporting.

NPR journalist Michele Kelemen was reportedly notified Monday that the State Division had eliminated her from the press pool for an upcoming journey to the UK, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Although the State Division has given no public motive for Keleman’s elimination, its timing only a few days after Pompeo’s NPR outburst suggests the elimination is a retaliatory measure, notably as NPR publicly stood by Kelly and her reporting within the wake of Pompeo’s assaults. “Mary Louise Kelly is among the most revered, truthful, factual, skilled and moral journalists in america,” NPR CEO John Lansing mentioned in an NPR interview about Pompeo’s feedback, which he known as “blatantly false.” The CEO added that Pompeo’s assertion, which alleged that Kelly “selected to violate the fundamental guidelines of journalism and decency,” goes past pressure and “towards intimidation.” “And let me simply say this,” Lansing continued. “We is not going to be intimidated.”

Keleman, equally, has acquired an outpouring of assist within the wake of the information of her ouster from the press pool, as journalists defend their revered colleague over the secretary of state’s assaults. “Michelle is a consummate skilled who has coated the State Division for practically twenty years,” the State Division Correspondants’ Affiliation mentioned in a assertion protesting the transfer, which the group concludes is the State Division “retaliating in opposition to Nationwide Public Radio because of [Pompeo and Kelly’s] alternate.” “The journalists who cowl the State Division are devoted to informing the general public and holding this and each administration accountable by asking questions concerning the problems with the day. The State Division has a protracted custom of accompanying secretaries of state on their travels and we discover it unacceptable to punish a person member of our affiliation.”

Pompeo, in the meantime, has garnered widespread criticism for his conduct with Kelly, which reportedly included the secretary of state asking the NPR journalist to appropriately establish Ukraine on a map. (Kelly—who holds a masters diploma in European Research from Cambridge College—studies that she did, although Pompeo’s assertion laughably insinuated that Kelly had in some way misidentified Bangladesh as Ukraine.) 5 Democratic senators wrote to Pompeo to “categorical [their] profound disappointment and concern” over Pompeo’s “irresponsible” feedback—and even the secretary of state’s Republican allies weren’t completely on board. “For goodness sake, Mr. Secretary, do not be such a child,” Fox Information host Steve Hilton mentioned on air Sunday. “It’s best to be capable to deal with powerful questions by now and do not be such a bully.”

The secretary of state’s outburst got here as Pompeo has more and more come beneath hearth over the unfolding Ukraine scandal, because the diplomatic group has expressed outrage over Pompeo’s management, notably his seeming unwillingness to brazenly defend Yovanovitch and different profession State officers. “He’s catering to his boss and no one else,” one former high-ranking State official informed my colleague Abigail Tracy earlier in January. Per CNN, senior diplomats are apparently “incensed” by Pompeo’s NPR tantrum and embarrassed by his management, and have develop into so accustomed to Pompeo’s “indignant eruptions” that he is earned the nickname “Mount Mike.” “And there have been have it. A Mount Mike eruption on the report,” one State official informed CNN about Pompeo’s reported alternate with Kelly. And the secretary of state remains to be getting even additional engulfed within the Ukraine chaos. In line with leaked revelations within the New York Instances from former adviser John Bolton’s upcoming guide, Pompeo reportedly knew concerning the Ukraine plot and the baseless nature of the marketing campaign in opposition to Yovanovitch that prompted her ouster, whilst he seemingly took no steps to defend the ambassador. Pompeo reportedly privately acknowledged to Bolton that Rudy Giuliani‘s smear marketing campaign in opposition to Yovanovitch “had no foundation,” including that Giuliani “might have needed her eliminated as a result of she might need been concentrating on his shoppers who had dealings in Ukraine as she sought to struggle corruption.”