There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is apparently very fond of the heavily discounted midday meal at the swanky White House mess, open only to senior White House officials, Cabinet members, and a small group of other guests. He likes it so much, Politico reports, the White House asked him to lunch elsewhere every once in a while. (Like, say, Chick-fil-A?)
The White House told departmental chiefs of staff in a meeting last year that Cabinet members should avoid treating the mess as their personal dining hall, Politico says, and the obvious target of the gentle rebuke was Pruitt, a person close to the EPA chief said, paraphrasing the message: "We love having Mr. Pruitt, but it's not meant for everyday use." Washington, D.C., has lots of restaurants, and Pruitt's salary as EPA administrator is $210,700 a year — though, obviously, he likes a bargain.
"Pruitt's allies privately disputed that the warning about overuse of the mess was aimed squarely at him, but nobody contests that he's a frequent presence at the White House for lunch," Politico says. Pruitt complains that the EPA headquarters doesn't have a cafeteria and he doesn't have a private dining area, multiple sources tell Politico, and the White House is only a few blocks from his office (not that Pruitt walks, of course). Pruitt also apparently likes to bring guests with him, though those lunch dates do not appear on his public schedule. You can read more at Politico.
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.
-
Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A: a ‘magnificent’ exhibitionThe Week Recommends The UK’s first show dedicated solely to the French queen explores the complex woman behind the ‘bling’
-
8 riveting museum exhibitions on view in the fallThe Week Recommends See Winslow Homer rarities and Black art reimagined
-
Crossword: September 18, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
