State department denies journalist seat on official plane, following public feud with news outlet over tough questions on Ukraine

This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

The state department has removed an NPR reporter from the pool of journalists traveling to Europe and Asia with Mike Pompeo, following the secretary of state’s public feud with the news organization.

The State Department Correspondents’ Association says that Michele Kelemen, an NPR diplomatic correspondent, has been denied a seat aboard Pompeo’s plane during his trip, which includes a visit to Ukraine.

In a statement, the association described the move as retaliation for a contentious interview with another NPR journalist, Marie Louise Kelly.

Emails cast further doubt on Pompeo's claim NPR reporter lied to him Read more

“The removal of Michele, who was in rotation as the radio pool reporter, comes days after Secretary Pompeo harshly criticized the work of an NPR host. We can only conclude that the State Department is retaliating against National Public Radio as a result of this exchange.”

The group asked the state department to reconsider and allow Kelemen to join Pompeo.

“Michele [Kelemen] is a consummate professional who has covered the State Department for nearly two decades,” the association wrote. “We respectfully ask the State Department to reconsider and allow Michele to travel on the plane for this trip.”

The state department declined to comment on the correspondents’ association’s request.



The secretary of state’s feud with NPR began last week when Kelly, a highly respected radio host, said Pompeo had unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade after she questioned him about Ukraine and, specifically, whether he should have defended Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador in Kyiv, in the face of a smear campaign.

Lara Jakes (@jakesNYT) The State Department removed NPR reporter Michele Kelemen from the press pool on ⁦@SecPompeo⁩ trip this week to Europe and Central Asia following his dustup w ⁦@NPRKelly⁩. Read statement by ⁦@shauntandon⁩, State Department Correspondents' Association president: pic.twitter.com/XksXaInNCJ

Kelly said that, following her interview with the secretary of state, she was taken to his private living room where he shouted at her “for about the same amount of time as the interview itself”. Kelly says Pompeo repeatedly “used the F-word” and asked her: “Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?”

Pompeo subsequently released an extraordinary statement over the weekend that claimed Kelly “lied” when setting up the interview and accused her of being part of an “unhinged” media conspiracy “in a quest to hurt President Trump and this administration”.

NPR has stood by its reporter, and newly released emails obtained by the Washington Post have cast doubts on Pompeo’s claim, showing that Kelly clearly expressed prior to the interview that Ukraine would be discussed.

Pompeo, who is due to make an official visit to Ukraine starting on Thursday, will be the most senior US official to travel to that country since the impeachment process began.