May 11, 2018

Ask a Pundit: Why Does Scott Pruitt Still Have a Job?

Mother Jones; Andrew Harnik/AP

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Martin Longman asks a provocative question: Why is Scott Pruitt untouchable? Trump has fired loads of other people, but despite Pruitt’s almost comical accumulation of embarrassing scandals, he has somehow managed to hang on. What’s the deal with this? How does Pruitt do it? I’m here to help:

  • He has not called Donald Trump either a moron or an idiot.
  • He does not argue with Trump about policy.
  • He does not bore Trump with lengthy white papers.
  • He believes climate change is hogwash.
  • Liberals hate his guts.
  • The press is gunning for him.
  • He is nakedly avaricious and enjoys taking revenge on his enemies—two traits that Trump approves of.
  • Trump doesn’t really care about scandals per se, only about scandals that threaten to touch him in any way.
  • Pruitt’s scandals don’t touch Trump in any way.

Any other questions?

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

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