Conservative group launches ad calling on Trump to fire Pruitt

A conservative activist group is out with a new television commercial calling on President Trump to fire embattled Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt.

“EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is embarrassing President Trump,” the voiceover in the advertisement by the American Future Fund (AFF) says before running through some of Pruitt’s recent high-profile scandals, like spending $43,000 on a soundproof phone booth for his office and giving big raises to close aides by bypassing the White House.

{mosads}“Mr. President, you know what to do,” the voiceover says, cutting to a clip of Trump from “The Apprentice” saying “You’re fired!”

“For the good of the country, Pruitt must go,” the spot concludes.

AFF has been involved in numerous GOP election and policy battles, such as backing incumbent Republicans in a series of California primaries.

The group doesn’t disclose its donors.

“President Trump needs to make an example out of Pruitt and show that this administration will not tolerate rampant abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Nick Ryan, AFF’s founder, said in a statement. “He is best known for using his office to enrich his wife, buy engraved keepsakes and direct federal guards to help find his favorite moisturizer. He’s the head of the EPA, not the Sultan of Brunei.”

Ryan also noted that Pruitt’s efforts at environmental deregulation “have been mired in court challenges and needless battles over personal spending.”

AFF is initially running the ad in Nebraska and South Dakota.

The group launched its campaign late Tuesday, the day before conservative Fox News host and Trump ally Laura Ingraham said on Twitter that Pruitt has “gotta go.”

Numerous conservative lawmakers who have been allies of Pruitt have also expressed fatigue over his scandals lately. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), for one, called Pruitt “about as swampy as you get here in Washington.”