SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
"There are a great many Americans who share the concerns that you expressed in that interview," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) told Pruitt. (Photo: CSPAN/Screengrab)
Proving Pruitt 'Capable of Telling the Truth,' Leaked Audio Reveals EPA Chief Once Called Trump Threat to Constitution
"It's sad that Donald Trump is likely more upset about Scott Pruitt's accurate portrayal of him than Pruitt's relentless attacks on clean air, clean water, and the health of the American public."
Jan 30, 2018
Given EPA chief Scott Pruitt's lengthy record of "lying his ass off" about climate change for the benefit of his pals in the fossil fuel industry, one could be forgiven for believing that he is incapable of honesty.
But leaked audio from a radio interview Pruitt gave in February 2016--in which he said Donald Trump "would be more abusive to the Constitution than Barack Obama"--appears to provide evidence that he is, in fact, "capable of telling the truth."
"It's sad that Donald Trump is likely more upset about Scott Pruitt's accurate portrayal of him than Pruitt's relentless attacks on clean air, clean water, and the health of the American public."
--Michael Brune, Sierra Club
According to a transcript of the interview made public by the corporate watchdog group Documented for the first time on Tuesday, Pruitt--then Oklahoma's attorney general--also agreed when radio host Pat Campbell characterized Trump as "dangerous" and a "bully."
"That's right," Pruitt said. "If Donald Trump is the nominee and eventually the president, he would take, I think unapologetic steps to use executive power to confront Congress in a way that is truly unconstitutional."
Pruitt's explosive remarks--which, Sierra Club notes, will likely upset Trump more than his "relentless attacks on clean air, clean water, and the health of the American public"--emerged just before he was set to appear at a hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where he faced questions from Democrats about his aggressive moves to gut environmental regulations.
But Democrats also seized upon the golden opportunity to highlight Pruitt's remarks, particularly because they were released just hours before Trump is set to deliver his first State of the Union Address.
Following Pruitt's opening statement, which didn't once mention the words "climate change," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) unveiled several posters displaying Pruitt's remarks and asked the EPA chief if he recalled making these comments about the man who now occupies the nation's highest office.
"There are a great many Americans who share the concerns that you expressed in that interview," Whitehouse said before rattling off Pruitt's comments.
In response, Pruitt insisted that he does not recall using those words, adding later that he would not "echo" those sentiments today.
Watch:
Shortly after Tuesday's hearing came to a close, Pruitt released a fawning statement hailing Trump as "the most consequential leader of our time."
"No one has done more to advance the rule of law than President Trump," Pruitt said. (Polls have shown that a majority of Americans believe Trump has attempted to "impede or obstruct" special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.)
Reacting to Pruitt's newly-surfaced interview, Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said "it's sad" that Trump will probably care more about "Pruitt's accurate portrayal of him" than about his assault on the environment.
"But Trump prizes his ego above anyone else, so Pruitt should watch his back," Brune noted. "Keep your eyes on Trump moving forward--will Pruitt wind up in the dog house like Jeff Sessions, or out of a job like Tom Price?"
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Given EPA chief Scott Pruitt's lengthy record of "lying his ass off" about climate change for the benefit of his pals in the fossil fuel industry, one could be forgiven for believing that he is incapable of honesty.
But leaked audio from a radio interview Pruitt gave in February 2016--in which he said Donald Trump "would be more abusive to the Constitution than Barack Obama"--appears to provide evidence that he is, in fact, "capable of telling the truth."
"It's sad that Donald Trump is likely more upset about Scott Pruitt's accurate portrayal of him than Pruitt's relentless attacks on clean air, clean water, and the health of the American public."
--Michael Brune, Sierra Club
According to a transcript of the interview made public by the corporate watchdog group Documented for the first time on Tuesday, Pruitt--then Oklahoma's attorney general--also agreed when radio host Pat Campbell characterized Trump as "dangerous" and a "bully."
"That's right," Pruitt said. "If Donald Trump is the nominee and eventually the president, he would take, I think unapologetic steps to use executive power to confront Congress in a way that is truly unconstitutional."
Pruitt's explosive remarks--which, Sierra Club notes, will likely upset Trump more than his "relentless attacks on clean air, clean water, and the health of the American public"--emerged just before he was set to appear at a hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where he faced questions from Democrats about his aggressive moves to gut environmental regulations.
But Democrats also seized upon the golden opportunity to highlight Pruitt's remarks, particularly because they were released just hours before Trump is set to deliver his first State of the Union Address.
Following Pruitt's opening statement, which didn't once mention the words "climate change," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) unveiled several posters displaying Pruitt's remarks and asked the EPA chief if he recalled making these comments about the man who now occupies the nation's highest office.
"There are a great many Americans who share the concerns that you expressed in that interview," Whitehouse said before rattling off Pruitt's comments.
In response, Pruitt insisted that he does not recall using those words, adding later that he would not "echo" those sentiments today.
Watch:
Shortly after Tuesday's hearing came to a close, Pruitt released a fawning statement hailing Trump as "the most consequential leader of our time."
"No one has done more to advance the rule of law than President Trump," Pruitt said. (Polls have shown that a majority of Americans believe Trump has attempted to "impede or obstruct" special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.)
Reacting to Pruitt's newly-surfaced interview, Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said "it's sad" that Trump will probably care more about "Pruitt's accurate portrayal of him" than about his assault on the environment.
"But Trump prizes his ego above anyone else, so Pruitt should watch his back," Brune noted. "Keep your eyes on Trump moving forward--will Pruitt wind up in the dog house like Jeff Sessions, or out of a job like Tom Price?"
Given EPA chief Scott Pruitt's lengthy record of "lying his ass off" about climate change for the benefit of his pals in the fossil fuel industry, one could be forgiven for believing that he is incapable of honesty.
But leaked audio from a radio interview Pruitt gave in February 2016--in which he said Donald Trump "would be more abusive to the Constitution than Barack Obama"--appears to provide evidence that he is, in fact, "capable of telling the truth."
"It's sad that Donald Trump is likely more upset about Scott Pruitt's accurate portrayal of him than Pruitt's relentless attacks on clean air, clean water, and the health of the American public."
--Michael Brune, Sierra Club
According to a transcript of the interview made public by the corporate watchdog group Documented for the first time on Tuesday, Pruitt--then Oklahoma's attorney general--also agreed when radio host Pat Campbell characterized Trump as "dangerous" and a "bully."
"That's right," Pruitt said. "If Donald Trump is the nominee and eventually the president, he would take, I think unapologetic steps to use executive power to confront Congress in a way that is truly unconstitutional."
Pruitt's explosive remarks--which, Sierra Club notes, will likely upset Trump more than his "relentless attacks on clean air, clean water, and the health of the American public"--emerged just before he was set to appear at a hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where he faced questions from Democrats about his aggressive moves to gut environmental regulations.
But Democrats also seized upon the golden opportunity to highlight Pruitt's remarks, particularly because they were released just hours before Trump is set to deliver his first State of the Union Address.
Following Pruitt's opening statement, which didn't once mention the words "climate change," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) unveiled several posters displaying Pruitt's remarks and asked the EPA chief if he recalled making these comments about the man who now occupies the nation's highest office.
"There are a great many Americans who share the concerns that you expressed in that interview," Whitehouse said before rattling off Pruitt's comments.
In response, Pruitt insisted that he does not recall using those words, adding later that he would not "echo" those sentiments today.
Watch:
Shortly after Tuesday's hearing came to a close, Pruitt released a fawning statement hailing Trump as "the most consequential leader of our time."
"No one has done more to advance the rule of law than President Trump," Pruitt said. (Polls have shown that a majority of Americans believe Trump has attempted to "impede or obstruct" special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.)
Reacting to Pruitt's newly-surfaced interview, Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said "it's sad" that Trump will probably care more about "Pruitt's accurate portrayal of him" than about his assault on the environment.
"But Trump prizes his ego above anyone else, so Pruitt should watch his back," Brune noted. "Keep your eyes on Trump moving forward--will Pruitt wind up in the dog house like Jeff Sessions, or out of a job like Tom Price?"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.