Embattled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt Wins Praise From Unlikely Source: Gov. Kate Brown

In an endorsement interview, the Oregon governor lauds Trump's EPA chief for his interest in a thorny Portland problem.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. (Office of the governor)
By Nigel Jaquiss

With the May 15 primary fast approaching, Gov. Kate Brown and others seeking election are traipsing to editorial endorsement interviews.

Yesterday, Brown and her two opponents in the Democratic primary for governor—Candace Neville, a Eugene developer, and Ed Jones, a Redmond excavator—visited WW.

In that interview, we asked Brown, an outspoken critic of President Donald J. Trump, whether there's any point on which she agrees with the nation's top Republican.

Surprisingly, Brown identified Trump's Environmental Protection Agency chief, Scott Pruitt, as a bright spot.

Pruitt, who as Oklahoma attorney general acted as an errand boy for the oil and gas industry, has aggressively set about attempting dismantle environmental protections such as higher vehicle mileage requirements mandated by the Obama administration.

He's currently under fire, the New York Times reports, for renting a Washington apartment from a lobbyist at a discounted rate; spending heavily on travel and security and attempting to change the EPA's seal, which he reportedly found to resemble a marijuana leaf.

But amid all that turmoil, Brown (who sharply criticized Trump and Pruitt for trying to roll back mileage requirements), found something to like.

Here's what Brown said (not surprisingly, the clip is short—just one minute and 22 seconds long):

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