Stephen Bannon and Scott Pruitt have been scheming for months to get Trump to ditch the Paris accord

If President Trump announces this afternoon that he's pulling out of the Paris climate accord, it will be a win for chief strategist Stephen Bannon and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Politico reported Thursday that both men have long been angling for Trump to bail on the deal:
Donald Trump's chief strategist and EPA administrator maneuvered for months to get the president to exit the Paris climate accord, shrewdly playing to his populist instincts and publicly pressing the narrative that the nearly 200-nation deal was effectively dead — boxing in the president on one of his highest-profile decisions to date.Steve Bannon and Scott Pruitt have sought to outsmart the administration's pro-Paris group of advisers, including Trump's daughter Ivanka, who were hoping the president could be swayed by a global swell of support for the deal from major corporations, U.S. allies, Al Gore, and even the pope. [Politico]
While Ivanka was setting up meetings for her dad with supporters of the agreement, Bannon and Pruitt were reportedly pushing concerns about how the deal could "hobble his pro-fossil-fuel energy agenda" and playing into Trump's concerns that the U.S. wasn't getting a good deal under the Paris Agreement. "Some of the debate was for show to help the moderates feel like they had their say," a person who'd talked to Pruitt told Politico. "Pruitt has believed all along that this was never in doubt."
Trump is slated to announce his decision Thursday at 3 p.m. Three White House officials told Politico that he's settled on pulling out of the Paris accord — though they conceded it's always possible Trump could change his mind.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Read more on the Paris face-off within the Trump administration at Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein