It is worth noting that Pompeo is a lying toad
For completeness, here is Pompeo’s nasty stupid childish “statement” in full, on official State Department letterhead.
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. It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency. This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President Trump and this Administration. It is no wonder that the American people distrust many in the media when they so consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity.
It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine.
He actually said that. He told her she doesn’t even know where Ukraine is, she disputed his claim, he had his stooges bring them an unmarked map and she pointed to Ukraine on the map. Nobody said anything about Bangladesh.
What.a.tool.
It does seem clear he intended the post-interview meeting to be off the record. Generally one doesn’t ask a reporter to not record a conversation and then berate them with the expectation that this is on the record (well, generally one doesn’t berate a reporter at all, but that’s another topic).
I don’t know the journalistic conventions. Is a clear intent enough? Or is it cut and dried that if you don’t explicitly say something’s off the record then it’s fair game, so if you just forgot to say it then that’s too bad?
My understanding of the Bangladesh comment is he’s claiming she pointed to Bangladesh rather than Ukraine. That seems unlikely.
Dear god. Do you seriously think I don’t understand that Pompeo is trying to imply that Kelly thought Bangladesh was Ukraine? I am not that stupid.
Are you familiar with the word “sarcasm” and what it means? Can you point to it on an unmarked map?
Amazing how anyone would have an unmarked map readily at hand, except maybe in an elementary school.
Even nuttier — he claims she pointed to the country north of Ukraine. Belarus — just came out BanglaDesh in Pompeo’s logic center:>
I’m guessing that Trump’s brain-rot is contagious!
Actually there is a difference between asking that a conversation not be recorded and having an off the record conversation. Even if we all agree here that asking Kelly not to bring a recording device was a sloppy way of saying that they expected the conversation to be off the record, outright abuse of the sort described (and not denied by Pompeo) negates any expectation of anything being off the record. Off the record is used to provide background information that leads a reporter in the right direction. It gives them the opportunity to dig up a story without you as a primary source. Or, it can be used to provide an advance briefing, so that a story can be sketched out in advance of an announcement. Or, it can be used to provide confirmation of an event or information without you being the attribute source. What it isn’t is a chance to abuse and berate a journalist and get away with it scott free, or as Pompeo appeared to threaten, for him to control the narrative.
Diawl! (Welsh for ‘the devil’) – the lengths to which Skeletor will go to put lipstick on pigs! And he has ‘understandings’, as well. That’s nice to know.