Trump floats replacing AG Sessions with environment agency chief

US President Donald Trump has floated replacing Attorney General Jeff Sessions with Scott Pruitt, even as the scandal-ridden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief has faced a growing list of negative headlines, a media report said.

"He was 100 per cent still trying to protect Pruitt because Pruitt is his fill-in for Sessions," an informed source told CNN on Thursday.

The proposition reveals just how frustrated Trump remains with Sessions because of his decision to recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigation more than a year ago, while signalling how confident he has remained in Pruitt despite a number of ethics issues, the source added.

Earlier on Thursday Trump said he continued to support Pruitt.

Asked by reporters as he boarded Air Force One if he has confidence in the embattled EPA official, Trump said: "I do."

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CNN on Thursday night that the administration does "not have any plans for personnel changes at this time".

The suggestion of replacing Sessions with Pruitt comes as Trump continues to rage against both the Attorney General and his deputy Rod Rosenstein.

--IANS

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