After firing his secretary of state via Twitter this week, President Donald Trump is reportedly interested in shaking up his Cabinet even further. Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman reported on Wednesday that Trump is considering firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and replacing him EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
Trump’s frustration with Sessions isn’t a new development, nor is the rumor that Pruitt could be his replacement. In January, Politico reported that Pruitt “told friends and associates that he’s interested in becoming attorney general,” a report the EPA swiftly denied. For nearly a year, speculation has swirled that Pruitt has political ambitions beyond the EPA.
What’s new is the belief that Pruitt himself started the rumor about replacing Sessions. On Thursday, The Atlantic’s Elaina Plott tweeted that she heard as much from “EPA sources.” Axios’ Jonathan Swan followed up, saying the “conventional wisdom” at the White House is that Pruitt is spreading the rumor about himself.
This rumor has been circulating for months and EPA sources believe it was started by Pruitt himself. https://t.co/Wie0EZdKRk
— Elaina Plott (@elainaplott) March 15, 2018
It’s not just EPA folks who believe that... that’s the conventional wisdom inside the WH too. https://t.co/EkQDcEGD9p
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) March 15, 2018
The EPA hasn’t responded to these claims, and will likely deny their validity. But if they’re true, Pruitt’s $43,000 personal soundproof phone booth would make a lot more sense.