A liberal group wants to use one of President Donald Trump’s favorite TV shows to pressure him into firing Scott Pruitt.
The group, American Bridge, on Friday morning will run exactly one ad about the embattled chief of the Environmental Protection Agency — during the Fox News show “Fox & Friends.” The one-minute spot will ask if Trump is afraid to fire Pruitt despite widespread criticism of the top department official, including possible ethical and financial missteps.
“Will Pruitt’s rogue action force Trump to say his favorite two words?” the ad asks, before playing a clip of Trump saying, “You’re fired.”
“Makes you wonder, what’s Trump so afraid of?” the narrator concludes.
The ad appears calibrated to incite the president, airing during a show he has praised and is said to watch frequently. On Thursday, Trump telephoned into “Fox & Friends,” his first media interview in months.
The ad also plays a clip of Pruitt criticizing Trump when the then-candidate was running for president. It then recaps a litany of reports about Pruitt’s conduct in office before ending with a reference to the president’s famous catchphrase while the star of NBC’s “The Apprentice.”
"No one understands why Trump is afraid to fire this swamp creature who is polluting the EPA with scandal after scandal after scandal," said Bradley Beychok, American Bridge president, said in a statement. "Scott Pruitt is bad at his job, he is a constant source of embarrassment for the Trump Administration, and he doesn't even like Trump himself. What gives?"