Hello, 

Below are rough and abbreviated transcripts of two exchanges between Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and reporters during today's press briefing, on Trump's defense of Pruitt's spending and on the timeline for the White House's review. 

Exchange #1. Video can be found here

REPORTER: Scott Pruitt, the EPA administrator often flew first class, had a $50 a night rental on Capitol Hill and tripled the size of his security detail. Can you explain what the President meant when he said rent was about market rate, travel expenses okay, security spending more but it was okay. Why did he say that?

 

SANDERS: He was referencing a report done by the EPA which we are continuing to review but in that it cites that the apartment was market value and goes into other details and that is what the president was reflecting.

 

REPORTER: $50 a night was market value according to the EPA?

 

SANDERS: yes, according to the office of government ethics.

 

REPORTER: travel spending, okay. Is the President okay with cabinet secretaries taking first class travel and tripling the size of their security detail? Is that okay?

 

SANDERS: again, we are reviewing each of those components. I know there was a much larger number of security issues surrounding the EPA administrator than in the past. But for specific questions beyond that i would refer you back to the EPA.

 

REPORTER: were those security issues or those included in police reports? Because there has been reporting across the country that no one found death threats or police reports that jeopardized his life or safety. What are you talking about when you --?

 

SANDERS: i can't comment about police reports but i do know there have been a number of questions raised and again, were continuing to review that. Until that’s complete I’d refer you to the EPA beyond that.

 

Exchange #2. Video here


REPORTER: Two questions regarding Scott Pruitt. How long is the review going to take that the white house is conducting?

SANDERS: I’m not going to lay out an arbitrary time line but it's something we are looking into and continuing to take under consideration.

REPORTER: Quick, or years?

SANDERS: Obviously we want to get through this process as quickly as we can. But I’m not going to just make up a time frame here today.

REPORTER: okay. And did chief of staff John Kelly recommend that Pruitt be fired?

SANDERS: I’m not going to get into any private conversations.


Thanks! 
Beehive