‘This interview has to stop’: Morning Joe shuts down EPA chief over Trump’s climate ‘hoax’ claims

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough interrupted an interview with EPA chief Scott Pruitt until he would answer whether President Donald Trump still believed climate change was a Chinese hoax.

Trump tweeted in November 2012 that "global warming" was schemed by the Chinese to harm U.S. manufacturing capabilities, and the "Morning Joe" host wanted to know whether that belief shaped the president's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.

"It's a simple question. Mr. Pruitt, it's a simple question," Scarborough said. "Have you ever talked to the president about whether he believes climate change is real? Does he still believe it was a hoax launched in china?"

Pruitt dismissed the question as unimportant, and said Trump made environmental decisions that "put America's interests first."

"I understand that, and I agree with that," Scarborough said. "I agree with that (but) we're just trying to get an answer from you. I agree, we should always put America first, (but) I disagree with getting out of Paris because it's voluntary. The goals set were voluntary. But I just want -- it's important for Americans to know -- it's important for Americans to know whether their president believes that global warming was hatched as a conspiracy theory in China. Doesn't that matter to you?"

Pruitt said the Paris agreement would require the agency he oversees to impose new regulations on energy production, which he said would hurt American industry -- but Scarborough cut him off.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry -- I've got to stop," Scarborough said. "I want to stop it. This interview has to stop in its tracks until I just get a yes (or) no answer from you on whether you believe it's important that Americans find out whether their president believes that climate change is a conspiracy theory based out of China."