Wall St. Journal: President Trump must back 'reformer' Pruitt against DC insiders’ lust for blood

Chris White, DCNF

The Wall Street Journal wants President Donald Trump to buck up and back EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt as bureaucratic busy bodies harangue the former Oklahoma attorney general over ethical issues.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on Capitol Hill January 18, 2017 in Washington, DC. Pruitt is expected to face tough questioning about his stance on climate change and ties to the oil and gas industry. (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) — (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

“Mr. Pruitt’s real sin is that he is one of Mr. Trump’s most aggressive reformers, taking on green idols that others would bow before,” the WSJ’s editorial board wrote Thursday in a piece urging Trump to stand by his man. The board lashed out at the “ruling iron triangle of bureaucrats” seeking Pruitt’s ouster.

“If there has been a more consequential cabinet official, we haven’t seen him,” the board noted, referring to Pruitt’s success in rolling back several of former President Barack Obama’s environment regulations. The WSJ’s editorial comes as recent reports from The Washington Post and ABC News detailed Pruitt’s first-class flights and his condo usage.

Ousting the beleaguered administrator will not be easy. Pruitt nixed the Clean Power Plan, convinced Trump to leave the Paris climate agreement, and, more recently, crafted new, less burdensome greenhouse gas emission and mileage standards for vehicles built in 2022 through 2025.

Pruitt also criticized Obama on Monday as he targeted the former president’s regulations against the auto industry. The EPA’s announcement of the greenhouse gas emission revision will likely lead be met with support from states like Michigan and Ohio, both of which voted for Trump.

The president has also voiced his support for Pruitt and told reporters at the White House Thursday, “I think he’s done a fantastic job. I think he’s done an incredible job.”

The WSJ’s editorial did not mention a New York Times report Thursday suggesting Pruitt also worked to demote career EPA officials who opposed some of his office reforms.

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