President Trump said Friday he still supports Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt despite ongoing spending and ethics investigations.
“Yes, I do, thank you,” Trump said when asked by a reporter whether he has confidence in Pruitt.
Trump was sitting two seats away from the EPA chief when he was asked the question. They were participating in a meeting at the White House with U.S. automakers about their plan to weaken fuel-efficiency rules.
Pruitt is the subject of 11 federal investigations over his spending and ethics practices. The White House is conducting its own probe but has not announced the results.
Trump’s statement of support comes after Vice President Mike Pence hailed Pruitt Thursday for his deregulatory moves at the EPA.
“Scott Pruitt has done an outstanding job lifting the burden of regulations that were stifling American businesses across this country,” Pence said in an interview on MSNBC. “We really do believe that much of the economic growth that we’ve seen over the last 15 months has been as much a result of deregulation as its been with the tax reforms that are just now beginning to have an impact on the economy. So we’re very grateful for Scott Pruitt’s leadership.”
