Republican Sen. John Kennedy: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt 'acting like a moron'

(CNN) -- Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy blasted embattled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt for "acting like a moron" Thursday, warning that Pruitt's ongoing ethics scandals are "hurting the President, and therefore he's hurting the country."

"I don't know Mr. Pruitt," Kennedy told CNN's John Berman on "New Day." "I'm not commenting on his professional judgment, I'm commenting on his personal judgment."

Pruitt is the subject of about a dozen inquiries to his role as administrator and this week has seen a steady stream of Republicans criticizing him. Two of Pruitt's top aides at EPA resigned this week amid scrutiny over the agency's excessive spending on travel, security and office renovations.

President Donald Trump, for his part, expressed confidence in Pruitt Wednesday, saying, "EPA is doing really, really well. And you know, somebody has to say that about you a little bit. EPA is doing so well ... I think people are very happy with the job that's being done at the EPA."

Kennedy seemed less impressed with Pruitt's work at the EPA.

"Well, I support many of the new policies of the EPA," Kennedy said, before adding, "They're not Mr. Pruitt's policies. They're President Trump's policies."

"Some of these things that Mr. Pruitt apparently has done, I know some of them are allegations, some of them are facts," Kennedy continued. "He is acting like a moron and he needs to stop it. It's not personal but he just needs to stop acting -- mismanaging in this way."

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

The Gayly. June 7, 2018. 11:06 a.m. CST.