WHOOPS

U.S. Cancels Journalist Jessikka Aro’s Award Over Her Criticism of Trump: Report

The State Department denied those allegations, claiming Aro had been “incorrectly notified.”

Finnish investigative journalist Jessikka Aro, who was set to be honored with an International Women of Courage Award, has reportedly had her award rescinded after the State Department discovered she had frequently criticized President Trump on social media. “It created a shitstorm of getting her unceremoniously kicked off the list,” one U.S. diplomatic source “familiar with the internal deliberations” told Foreign Policy. “I think it was absolutely the wrong decision on so many levels,” the source reportedly told the magazine, noting that the decision “had nothing to do with her work.” Meanwhile, the State Department denied those allegations and said that Aro never won the award in the first place, claiming that she had been “incorrectly notified.”A spokesperson said the mistake was caused by “a lack of coordination in communications with candidates and our embassies.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and first lady Melania Trump handed out the International Women of Courage Awards at a ceremony on Thursday.