EPA chief's job not assured after Trump's praise — and ire
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump offered a measured gesture of support for the embattled head of the Environmental Protect Agency on Tuesday but those words of encouragement for Scott Pruitt also came with a White House warning about the ethical questions surrounding his travel spending and ties to Washington lobbyists.
"I hope he's going to be great," Trump told reporters, declining to reiterate publicly his private praise for Pruitt's work.
In a phone call Monday, Trump told the EPA chief "we've got your back" and urged him to "keep his head up" and "keep fighting," according to two administration officials.