WATCH: Reporter’s Grilling of Pompeo After Trump Insurrection Got Her Pulled Off White House Beat By US Government
A reporter from Voice of America was demoted for grilling Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about U.S. standing following the Capitol insurrection that was incited by President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Pompeo delivered an address and participated in an interview with Trump-appointed VOA parent agency CEO Michael Pack and VOA Director Robert Reilly, after which now-former VOA White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara grilled Pompeo on his way out the door.
In the short clip, Widakuswara fires questions at Pompeo about the country’s reputation in the wake of the insurrection, and Pompeo’s own remarks about the next presidential administration.
“Mr. Secretary, what are you doing to repair the U.S. reputation around the world? Mr. Secretary, do you regret saying there will be a second Trump administration?” Widakuswara asked as Pompeo rushed from the event.
That exchange has caused Widakuswara to be pulled off of the White House beat, according to The Washington Post:
The director of Voice of America ordered the reassignment of a reporter for the international news organization after she sought to ask questions of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a VOA-sponsored appearance on Monday, according to several people who attended the event.
Patsy Widakuswara, who covers the White House for VOA, was ordered off the beat by Director Robert Reilly after firing questions at Pompeo after his speech and a brief Q&A session conducted by Reilly.
Trump installed Pack as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the parent agency of VOA after he bitterly complained about VOA’s previous leadership. Trump himself also had a run-in with Widakuswara in April, skipping over her at a briefing when he found out she was with VOA.
Watch above via VOA.
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