Trump Says He Still Has Confidence in EPA Chief Pruitt

FILE - Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks at a news conference in East Chicago, Ind., April 19, 2017.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that embattled Environmental Protection Agency Director Scott Pruitt still has his confidence.

Pruitt has been criticized for a series of potential ethics lapses, including flying first class, excessive spending on security, and the rental of a room in a Washington condominium owned by the wife of an energy lobbyist.

Asked during a meeting of automakers at the White House if he still has confidence in Pruitt, Trump responded: "Yes, I do."