| | | | Scott Pruitt: Tick, tick, tick... | | Less than 48 hours after The New York Times published a lengthy front-page piece detailing Scott Pruitt's long pattern of ethically dicey moves prior to being named EPA chief, the White House's defenses of him are clearly softening.
Asked about the series of recent negative headlines on Pruitt, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders responded Monday: "We're continuing to review a number of the reports that you've mentioned, and we'll let you know if we have any changes on that front."
Pressed later in the daily briefing on Pruitt, Sanders remained guarded.
"We're reviewing some of those allegations," she said again. "However, Administrator Pruitt has done a good job of implementing the President's policies, particularly on deregulation, making the United States less energy-dependent and becoming more energy-independent. Those are good things. However, the other things certainly are something that we're monitoring and looking at, and I'll keep you posted."
Amid that lukewarm statement of support, Bloomberg reported that White House officials "are cautioning Republican lawmakers and other conservative allies to temper their defense of Scott Pruitt, according to two people familiar with the discussions, in a sign that administration support for the embattled EPA chief may be waning."
It's somewhat remarkable that Pruitt is still around at all -- given that the past two months have been dominated by stories ranging from Pruitt renting a room in an energy lobbyist's house for $50 a night to two of his aides seeking to end-run the White House to secure raises.
Trump hates when people who work for him get negative press. It's why he jettisoned -- among others -- Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.
Why hasn't Pruitt joined that ignominious list yet? Because, as Sanders noted today, he is doing what Trump wants him to do at the EPA.
The Point: It feels like we are reaching critical mass on Pruitt. Trump may like what he is doing at EPA but the President H-A-T-E-S bad headlines. And Pruitt can't seem to avoid those these days.
-- Chris | | FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH IN INTENSIVE CARE | | CNN's Jamie Gangel reported Monday night: "Former President George H.W. Bush, who just buried his wife first lady Barbara Bush on Saturday, is in intensive care, CNN has learned.
Spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement, "President Bush was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital yesterday morning after contracting an infection that spread to his blood. He is responding to treatments and appears to be recovering. We will issue additional updates as events warrant."
Read more here. | | CABINET NOMINEES TOP OF CONGRESS' AGENDA THIS WEEK | | CNN's Capitol Hill team reported Monday that this week President Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees top Congress' agenda. - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 11-to-9 to advance the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be the next secretary of state on Monday afternoon.
- Trump's pick to replace Pompeo leading the CIA, Gina Haspel, isn't scheduled to have her confirmation hearing until May 9. But CNN's Eli Watkins reported Monday that scores of former military officials signed on to an open letter published by an activist group Monday challenging Haspel's nomination, and called for the declassification of her agency records.
Haspel has been meeting with senators from both parties ahead of her hearing, and those one-on-one discussions are expected to continue this week. - Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, Trump's pick to head the Department of Veterans' Affairs, will appear before a Senate committee Wednesday. Jackson, who currently serves as White House physician, spent last week meeting with members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, trying to assuage some concerns of Democratic senators.
- Also: Confirmation for Richard Grenell, Trump's nominee to be US ambassador to Germany, has consistently faced opposition, CNN's Ted Barrett and Daniella Diaz reported Monday.
Read more here. | | | Night Traveler dropped a new song called "1984." h/t CNN's Leigh Munsli for the rec. | | Today's topic? A Fox News Channel story with an intriguing headline: "Hillary Clinton, not on ballot, is star of GOP midterm plan."
(Chris also wrote about that today). | | CNN's Maeve Reston profiled Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who recently spent time in Iowa and South Carolina as he tries to position himself as a potential 2020 Democratic presidential contender. From her story:
"The mayor of Los Angeles, a diverse and liberal city, recently traveled to the overwhelmingly white and politically much more conservative state, where political activists are already gearing up for the first-in-the-nation caucuses that will unfold less than two years from now. He introduced himself to Democratic activists at Cooney's Tavern as the grandson of a Mexican immigrant who became a citizen 'because this country said there was a place in it for him.' He joked about his heritage as 'just your average Mexican-American-Jewish-Italian,' reviving a line from his speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. ..." Read more here.
Maeve also teamed up with CNN's Gabe Ramirez to follow Garcetti as he took them on a tour of his neighborhood and his childhood haunts in the San Fernando Valley. Here's the video. | | ICYMI: ROMNEY FAILED TO SECURE UTAH GOP NOM | | Maeve also interviewed Mitt Romney on Saturday after he did not win the Utah Republican Party's nomination. That means the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee will have to compete in a June primary election as he seeks to replace retiring US Sen. Orrin Hatch. Here are some highlights from Maeve's reporting over the weekend: - On the primary race: "This is terrific for the people of Utah, and I really want to thank the delegates who stayed so late to give me the kind of boost that I got here today. We're going to have a good primary."
- On former FBI Director James Comey's book: "'This isn't what I would've expected for an FBI director."
- On whether he'll support President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign: "I will make that decision down the road. As a person of political experience, if I endorse someone, I'll want to know what's in it for Utah and what help would he provide for us on key priorities in Utah."
Read more here. | | NO MORE CORPORATE PAC $ FOR SEN. HARRIS | | From CNN's Greg Krieg: "California Sen. Kamala Harris will join other leading Democrats in rejecting corporate PAC money, she announced in an interview on Monday. Harris publicized her new position during a visit, taped Friday, with 'The Breakfast Club,' a New York radio show."
That means now all five of the Senate's top potential candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination -- Harris and Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Cory Booker of New Jersey -- also decline to take corporate PAC money. Read more here. | | | Brenna writes: "I would throw an absolute fit if I went to visit someone's house and they made me do yard work. But that (among other reasons) is why I will never be the president of France. French President Emmanuel Macron is in town, working for his dinner. The American way." Anyway, thanks for reading. We hope you enjoyed, and if you did: Spread the word and tell people to subscribe to The Point. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | | | | |
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