National Public Radio (NPR) fired back at Mike Pompeo on Saturday after the Secretary of State attacked “All Things Considered” host Mary Louise Kelly.
“One day after a contentious interview followed by an expletive-filled verbal lashing of NPR host Mary Louise Kelly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is publicly accusing her of lying to him — ‘twice,’” NPR reported. “He does not explain how and offers no evidence, but in their recorded interview the nation’s top diplomat declined to respond when Kelly asked if he owed an apology to Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was ousted from that post last year after allies of President Trump accused her of disloyalty.”
Nancy Barnes, NPR senior vice president for news, is standing by Kelly’s reporting.
“Mary Louise Kelly has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity and we stand behind this report,” Barnes said in a statement.
Even NPR President and CEO John Lansing stood up for Kelly.
“Mary Louise Kelly is one of the most respected, truthful, factual, professional and ethical journalists in the United States, and that’s known by the entire press corps,” Lansing said on Saturday. “And I stand behind her and I stand behind the NPR newsroom, and the statement from the secretary of state is blatantly false.”
“But this goes well beyond tension — this goes towards intimidation,” he added. “And let me just say this: we will not be intimidated. Mary Louise Kelly won’t be intimidated, and NPR won’t be intimidated.”
Without giving evidence, @SecPompeo accused @NPRKelly of lying to him — "twice."
"Let me just say this: we will not be intimidated," NPR President and CEO John Lansing told @npratc. "Mary Louise Kelly won't be intimidated, and NPR won't be intimidated." https://t.co/Ic9wEs4XEr
— NPR (@NPR) January 25, 2020
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