WASHINGTON — In a marked change in tone, the White House says President Trump is not OK with recent revelations involving the embattled head of the Environmental Protection Agency.

For his part, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is denying he knew about big raises given to two of his closest aides and insisting he did nothing wrong in renting a bargain-priced condo tied to an energy lobbyist.

Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the White House is reviewing EPA's Scott Pruitt conduct. Washington Post/Jabin Botsford

Pruitt spoke in a series of interviews with Fox News and other conservative media outlets in an attempt to shore up his eroding position in an administration that has seen other top officials depart after ethical missteps.

Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that the White House is reviewing Pruitt’s conduct and declined to confirm reports by The Associated Press and others that the president called Pruitt in recent days to offer support.

Asked if Trump was OK with Pruitt’s actions, Sanders replied: “The president’s not.”

“We’re reviewing the situation. When we have had the chance to have a deeper dive on it we’ll let you know the outcomes of that,” she added. “But we’re currently reviewing that here at the White House.”

The remarks from Sanders were a departure from the enthusiastic support Pruitt has previously received from Trump, who has touted his environmental chief’s relentless efforts to reverse, scrap or rewrite pollution limits opposed by industry

On Tuesday, the administration had put out word that the president had Pruitt’s back. By Wednesday, White House officials were describing his situation as unsustainable.

Related Stories