Scott Pruitt Resigns; Bill Shine Joins Team Trump

Some cool staffing changes in the Trump Regime this afternoon. EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, one of the most corrupt scumbags in Trump's cabinet, which is really saying something, resigned today. It's notable that he was allowed to resign — and that Donald Trump sent him on his way with effusive praise.

"An outstanding job." Given that his task was destroying the EPA, I suppose that's accurate. https://t.co/2uSOUqXer3

— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) July 5, 2018

Trump's two-tweet message concluded: "...on Monday assume duties as the acting Administrator of the EPA. I have no doubt that Andy will continue on with our great and lasting EPA agenda. We have made tremendous progress and the future of the EPA is very bright!"

Tremendous progress. Jesus fucking Jones.

A couple of days ago, I made a point about Pruitt still having a job and how our checks and balances were failing. Unfortunately, despite the fact that I'm glad he no longer has a job, I can't say that it gives me any hope regarding meaningful accountability, given the way his tenure has ended.

On the same subject, although it's good news that Pruitt no longer has this job, it's not great that he was allowed to resign and sent on his way with the president crowing about what a tremendous job he did. No real accountability, and the face of corruption merely changes. https://t.co/kwuw4lpzYn

— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) July 5, 2018

The only lesson I fear the Trump Regime has learned is that no one can be more corrupt than the president. Pruitt's problem wasn't that he was flagrantly corrupt; it was that he got ahead of the pace car.

Trump is normalizing corruption at an alarming speed, but his minions can only be as corrupt as he is, and no more. That still leaves them a lot of damn room.

Meanwhile, Bill Shine, who left Fox News amid multiple sexual harassment scandals, has joined the administration as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications. Yeah, that tracks.

I don't really have any commentary on that mess, beyond this: Gross.

Gross and entirely unsurprising. As I said a week ago when this hire was first rumored, Fox News and the White House are basically just a rotating shitwheel of highly paid sinecures for abusive men now. Cool.