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| Kelly (Left) and Pompeo (Right) |
about whether a conversation he initiated with her was deemed as off the record (cannot be reported in any way). NPR has denied his accusations.
Kelly had recently interviewed Pompeo for the NPR program All Things Considered. The interview focused on the US's policy in Iran, and at the end, Kelly asked Pompeo whether he owes Marie Yovanovitch, former US ambassador to Ukraine, an "apology" for not defending her when President Trump ordered her fired last spring. Pompeo was unhappy with this question, claiming that Kelly only agreed to interview him about Iran. Kelly responded, saying had confirmed beforehand with his staff that she was going to be discussing Iran and Ukraine with him.
After the interview was complete, an aide asked Kelly to follow her into Pompeo's private living room at the State Department, not saying that the conversation would be off the record. According to Kelly:
"I was taken to the secretary's private living room where he was waiting and where he shouted at me for about the same amount of time the interview itself had lasted. He was not happy to have been questioned about Ukraine. He asked, do you think Americans care about Ukraine? He used the F-word in that sentence and many others. He asked if I could find Ukraine on any map; I said yes. He called out for his aide to bring him a map of the world with no writing, no countries marked. I pointed to Ukraine. He put the map away. He said, people will hear about this."
Sources:
- Transcript of Kelly and Pompeo's interview and recount of post-interview conversation.
- Washington Post Articles: 1 | 2 | 3
- How does this reflects the relationship between the US government and the press?
- Is this conflict between the government and the press a stand-alone case between Kelly and Pompeo, a dynamic specific to the Trump administration, or is it indicative of the overall tensions between the two.
- Do you believe this will impact Trump's reelection campaign in any capacity?
I think that this event reflects the relationship between the US government and the press pretty well. There have been numerous occasions where the press has been accused of releasing private information about the US government. For instance, in 1871, New York Times v. The United States Supreme Court case dealt with the censorship of classified information and the first amendment. Although, the event with NPR is a little different due to the Secretary of State accusing Mary Louise Kelly for lying, it highlights the rift between the US government and the press. I think this conflict between the government and the press is mainly indicative to the overall tensions. If we look back, the Trump administration is not the only one to have problems with the press, however, it could possibly be a stand-alone between Kelly and Pompeo. To address the last question, I don't think that this will impact Trump's reelection campaign to too much extent mainly because I think that this conflict is dealing more with the fact of a reporter lying to the Secretary of State rather than leaked information.
ReplyDeleteAlthough he is associated with Mike Pompeo, I personally don’t believe that this single incident will affect Trump’s reelection campaign as he is not directly connected to it. Yes, Pompeo’s use of the F word on Kelly was uncalled for, but Trump supporters have dealt with his own much more blatant attacks on the media. In February 2017, Trump tweeted “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!” The NPR incident is but a blip in the possible happenings to affect Trump’s reelection because he’s often and publicly bashed the media, desensitizing people to it.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of blurred lines in the story. It's difficult to pick a side because it is a he-said-she-said situation. I like to believe that the reporter isn't the right for releasing the true character of Pompeo And that she has every right to because their conversation was not “off the Record” but we don't really know. These days the media is getting a bad reputation with the notion of fake news so there is also a possibility that this is in fact on fruit although it seems highly unlikely. I really think the issue was with the off-the-record topics not that the interview didn't go as planned because when interviewing there is a lot of conversation before hand and expectations so it's overall very unprofessional.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between the government and press seems incredibly hostile, especially as shown in these events. Rather than actually working cooperatively as we've seen in the past with our government textbook, officials seem to be at each others' throats with accusations of fake news and hostility. I don't think it's a stand-alone case at all, as we've seen Trump himself accuse reporters of publishing 'fake news' and attacking many businesses. Rather than really starting a fuss, this event will likely only seem like another drop in the bucket of Trump and his administration clashing with reporters. Given that I haven't actually heard much of this event at all in terms of big headlines, I doubt it'll make a large impact on reelection campaigns.
ReplyDeleteThis is simply another example of the Trump administration as a whole having a very strained relationship with the news media, in particular organizations who they perceive as having a liberal bias. This is very problematic since the press are an essential feature of the democratic process since they keep the public informed. I doubt that it will impact Trump's re-election. It is universally acknowledged that Trump doesn't like the press, and I don't think that this will change anyone's mind as to whether this is a good or bad.
ReplyDeleteClearly, this is reflective of the poor relationship that the Trump administration has with the press. This is not only about the Kelly and Pompeo, but the whole administration. Trump has been critical of the press, with his "fake news" comments and such, for as long as he's been running for president, and that has continued into his presidency. His criticism of the media is not entirely baseless, but he seems to interpret anything critical of him as unfair treatment. This seems to have impacted even Pompeo, who appears to be treating the press in a similar manner. However, I don't think this will have any impact on his reelection campaign. This is nothing new, and has not had any impact on his base group of supporters thus far.
ReplyDeleteThis reflects the relationship between the government and the press fairly well. Throughout Trump's term, there have been many occurrences of the president blaming the press for spreading "fake news," while the press has highlighted various unflattering aspects of the Trump administration. I do not believe that it will affect Trump's reelection campaign much. Throughout his campaign, there have been so many instances in which Trump and his administration have been criticized, but in they managed to weather each crisis. I believe after all this, those that still support Trump, will not be convinced to stop backing him because of a trend of bad relations with the press that has been occurring for the past four years.
ReplyDeleteThis is a prime example of the volatile, disrespectful, and dehumanizing way that Trump and his administration treat the press and other entities that disagree with him or have the great potential to portray him negatively. This is especially seen by more liberal news outlets, and NPR is a left-leaning group. Furthermore, this relationship is also exemplified by Trump's refusal to attend events like the State of the Union, where comedians make fun of news outlets, journalists, and the current administration. The President himself/herself is also expected to make a comedic speech if they are in attendance, but Trump refuses to attend, which is indicative of his relationship with the press. It has also been reported that Trump's entire mood can be ruined by a single example of bad pres coverage, and Trump has banned journalists in the past who were representing liberal news outlets. He had banned BBC, CNN, and The Guardian from certain news briefings in 2017, and had banned or limited access to the White House through the Washington Press Corps for six other news outlets, including CNN and the Washington Post. That policy has since been revoked in court on the basis of free press in the first amendment. All of this behavior is indicative of a very bitter relationship between Trump and the press, even leading to unconstitutional and disrespectful behavior, but despite this, I don't believe it will hurt Trump's campaign. In fact, many of his base has even adopted slogans that Trump has initiated during rallies addressing the press, such as "fake news" and calling the press "the enemy of the people." Not only does this incite violence, but it also discredits the very organizations that allow everyday people to receive crucial information about the world around them and those in power. Without the press, and their guaranteed freedom, we are all under threat of receiving misinformation and allowing stories of national importance from slipping away and losing their crucial significance.
ReplyDeleteThis event emphasizes the strained relationship between the press and the Trump presidency. Unlike other presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt who maintained a good relationship with the press in order to retain their office, Trump and his team has successfully villainized the press among his supporters. This allows Trump to get away with acts that would have disqualified others from even thinking about the oval office. As long as he remains popular in his constituency, he can frame any otherwise unsavory situation in his favor. Thus, I do not believe that this event will affect Trump’s chances in the slightest. Even though it is clear when listening to the tape that Pompeo was unhinged and out of line, I do not see Trump supporters changing their mind. At the end of the day, Republicans want their ideals represented in the White House, and Trump is their best shot at doing so.
ReplyDelete