EPA-OK with Don
Trump still backing embattled head Pruitt
THE EMBATTLED head of the EPA has yet to wear out his welcome in the Trump administration — despite mounting pushback against his flurry of scandals and ethics controversies.
President Trump remains unwilling to bow to pressure to fire Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, even as White House chief of staff John Kelly and other top aides have pressed for his ouster, according to several reports.
Pruitt visited the White House early Friday to discuss his agency’s recent steps to roll back Obama-era fuel efficiency standards for cars, and to fight for his job, according to the Associated Press.
Trump believes Pruitt has “done a good job at ... carrying out the goals of the EPA,” the White House said.
The former Oklahoma attorney general has come under fire for renting a Capitol Hill condo from the wife of a fossil fuel lobbyist, spending taxpayer money on first-class travel accommodations and security, green-lighting pay raises for aides without White House approval and reassigning subordinates who question his management style.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for his resignation.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Pruitt’s tenure has been “part of the Trump administration’s culture of corruption, cronyism and incompetence.”
A group of 64 House Democrats wrote a letter to Trump Friday calling on him to cut the contentious Cabinet member loose.
Trump tweeted Friday that Pruitt is “doing a great job but is TOTALLY under siege.”
The President also pushed back against a report that he is considering Pruitt as a replacement for Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Do people really believe this stuff? So much of the media is dishonest and corrupt!” Trump tweeted. On Thursday, CNN reported that Trump talked about putting Pruitt (photo) in charge of the Justice Department as recently as this week. The scrutiny surrounding Pruitt comes just a week after Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin was ousted amid similar ethical questions. Trump has been pleased with Pruitt’s hard-charging efforts to roll back environmental regulations and his business-friendly approach, officials said Friday.
While an army of conservative lobbyists have rallied in his defense, Kelly and other aides have advocated Pruitt’s firing, believing the growing list of controversies have made him a liability.
Pruitt’s polluting presence has also highlighted the divide between Trump and Kelly, according to reports.
Trump has left Kelly out of the loop more frequently recently, even ignoring his advice against congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin on his recent reelection.
He also told a confidant that he was “tired of being told no” by Kelly and has instead chosen to simply not inform him of decisions he’s made, a source told CBS News.
The White House said Pruitt’s actions are under review, but cautioned that Trump alone will have the final say.