Good morning Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly Had Reportedly Threatened to Quit
According to an article by Axios, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly reportedly threatened to quit his post in late March.
On March 28, according to the report, Kelly and President Trump were engaged in a heated discussion in the Oval Office when Kelly stormed out and vowed to quit as he walked to his office.
Several people were requested to talk to Kelly to calm him down, and ultimately Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who Kelly is said to trust the most as far as members of the Trump administration go, “talked him off a ledge.”
According to CNBC, Trump and Kelly are often said to be at odds with one another, disagreeing about several issues, including whether the EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, should be forced to step down.
The Chief of Staff has had issues reining in the president, and it has been circulated around Washington D.C. that Kelly’s days in the White House might be numbered, CNBC reports.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt Faces New Criticisms Over Cost of Security Detail
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt is facing new criticisms regarding the size and costs of his security detail, adding to the list of criticisms on Pruitt’s questionable actions.
According to CNN, Pruitt has 19 agents on his security team, along with a fleet of 19 vehicles. When considering the costs of training for these agents, gas for the vehicles and salaries, the costs easily go into the millions.
CNN, using public documents, calculated that salaries for Pruitt’s security team costs at least $2 million a year, and that’s not including travel, training or equipment.
Members of Congress are raising questions about Pruitt’s need for such a large security detail, citing concerns about a “potential waste or abuse of taxpayer dollars,” particularly when President Trump had reduced the EPA’s budget for things such as enforcement work and staffing, CNN reports.
The size of Pruitt’s security detail is unprecedented, as no EPA administrator has ever had 24/7 security detail before, CNN reports.
Earlier this week, CNN reported that Pruitt’s security detail had even been extended to some of his personal trips, including a family trip to Disneyland. He has also been criticized of racking up travel costs by flying first class or taking private and military flights instead of flying commercial.
However, the EPA said in a statement, “According to EPA's assistant inspector general, Scott Pruitt has faced an unprecedented amount of death threats against him and his family. Americans should all agree that members of the President's Cabinet should be kept safe from these violent threats.”
Pruitt has also faced scrutiny for renting out a room in a condo owned by the wife of an energy lobbyist.
A spokesperson for House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy confirmed to CNN on Friday that he is looking into the EPA administrator’s actions.
Dr. Evil Says He is the Recent Member to Leave the Trump Administration
The White House has been a revolving door throughout President Trump’s administration so far. And it looks like a new member has left the administration. *insert evil laugh here*
The most recent member to leave the White House is… Dr. Evil!
According to PopSugar, Mike Myers reprised his role as Dr. Evil on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and confessed that he was fired by Trump. (Can you hear Trump saying his famous “You’re Fired!” line from the days of The Apprentice?)
Dr. Evil gave us a little insight on all the behind-the-scenes drama at the White House. He also said that he was “naturally” going to be Trump’s pick for “Secretary of Evil,” but “Steven Bannon got that job.”
Dr. Evil took credit for all of the ~evil~ things to come out of the White House, including the idea for the wall along the southern border, PopSugar reports.
But Dr. Evil did say that he did not propose the deportation of the Dreamers.
“No, Jimmy, even I have my limits. I'm evil but I'm not a monster,” he told Fallon.
What to look out for...
Busy Philipps will be in Season 4 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and I'm so excited I might just cry!