Mom Who Confronted Scott Pruitt And Called On Him To Resign Is ‘Glad He Took The Hint’

Kristin Mink, the mom who took her 2-year-old son to a protest demanding that former EPA chief Scott Pruitt resign from his position, says that she is “glad he took the hint.”

Mink took her 2-year-old to a Washington D.C. restaurant, Teasim, where Pruitt was dining. On seeing her approach, Pruitt was “all smiles,” perhaps because he thought that Mink had approached him to pay a compliment. But as he soon found out, the woman had very different ideas. Mink posted a video of the incident on Facebook, which went viral as social media hailed her for giving Pruitt a piece of her mind.

Holding out her son, Mink unleashed a wave of fury that left Pruitt visibly embarrassed.

“Hi, I just wanted to urge you to resign because of what you’re doing to the environment and our country,” she begins addressing Pruitt in the video, before blasting him for not believing in climate change and his unquestionable affinity towards the deregulation of environmental protections.

“We deserve to have somebody at the EPA who actually does protect our environment. Somebody who believes in climate change and takes it seriously, for the benefit of all of us, including our children. So I would urge you to resign before your scandals push you out.”

Pruitt does not respond to Mink in the video but gets up and leaves shortly after.

And while she was hailed for her actions on social media, Mink was left absolutely stunned when she got to know that Pruitt had indeed resigned on Thursday.

Under fire for ethics scandals, EPA chief Pruitt resigns https://t.co/ZgNo2jwBAn by @johnwhitesides pic.twitter.com/jsglJEPinf

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2018

“I was elated. Jumping up and down, very excited, it’s great,” Mink told CBSN of the moment when she realized that Pruitt had resigned. She said she could not believe that Pruitt had actually heeded her words, but when she got to know who his successor was at the EPA, she was left disappointed.

As Donald Trump announced on Twitter, Pruitt will be succeeded by career coal industry lobbyist and former Deputy EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler.

“Then, of course, you know, I saw who he’s appointed as the interim, and that’s reality for us,” Mink said.

Pruitt was under increasing pressure to resign following several controversies which alleged that he had misused public funds and exploited executive privileges for personal benefits during his time at the EPA. Moreover, he is believed to have severely weakened the agency by deregulating protections, leading environmentalists to be acutely critical of him. Pruitt, however, said that “unrelenting attacks” on him and his family had led him to take the decision, according to BBC.

Pruitt is the latest among Donald Trump officials who have been confronted by members of the public in recent times. Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was booed at a Mexican restaurant by activists protesting the family separation policy, while White House press secretary was asked to leave Red Hen restaurant in Lexington for being the administration’s mouthpiece.

As for Mink, she is gunning for someone else now.

Hey @realDonaldTrump where are you going to lunch tomorrow?

— Kristin Mink, Montgomery County Council (MD) (@KristinMink_) July 5, 2018