Look, It's Mr. Christian Leadership 2

An NPR reporter was notified that she was being removed from the press pool covering an upcoming trip by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The sudden change came just a few days after Pompeo responded angrily to an interviewer from the public radio outlet. https://t.co/rDoOZTkCqD

— CNN (@CNN) January 28, 2020

To follow up on the previous post about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's dust-up with NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly, Pompeo made a point of responding in a way that was, um, weird:

Quite the statement from the nation's top diplomat: Sec Pompeo responds to @NPR, saying @NPRKelly lied and... insinuating she misidentified Ukraine on that map. "This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt Pres Trump and this administration." pic.twitter.com/9xdZWZs34o

— Conor Finnegan (@cjf39) January 25, 2020

Belarus, I'd consider. Bulgaria, I'd consider. Mary Louise Kelly is, no way, no how, mistaking Ukraine for Bangladesh. I can just about imagine the nerve of arguing about whether the statements he made were OTR or not, but it should be noted that NPR is standing by their reporter. This additional nonsense where a different NPR correspondent was removed from Pompeo's press pool seems...let's face it, like some pettiness. Although Susan Glasser certainly has a great take--he's trolling the media because it's the kind of brash arrogance his boss, Trump loves. I like her take; she wrote a really great profile on Mike Pompeo that has an absolutely immortal line in it:

The former official said that, in private, to, Pompeo is "among the most sycophantic and obsequious people around Trump." Even more bluntly, a former American ambassador told me, "He's like a heat-seeking missile for Trump's ass."

It's not a great look, but as Trump may be casting about for scapegoats amidst the ongoing impeachment trial, maybe performing a little public loyalty test is just the sort of price Pompeo feels he has to pay for whatever he considers his higher work. Although I do have my questions about what, exactly, that is. His faith-based media briefing last year was another occasion in which he barred certain media. I think he is under the mistaken impression that it is possible to play to only certain audiences in this day and age, without other people also seeing what he is about, and having an opinion about it.

It is a very curious blind-spot for a public servant to have. Something something, argue, something something, ink by the barrel.