As he talked, the noise of the subway was audible in the background.
Later he softened.
He’s sick of the narrative, he said.
“Try to be positive about a guy who has given 30 years of his life to service,” he urged.
Benton supported Trump early in his bid for president. He served as Trump’s state campaign chairman and the two reportedly once shared a meal at McDonald’s. Over a Filet-O-Fish, Benton apparently convinced Trump of his loyalty — a characteristic the president is believed to value highly — and since then has been rewarded.
Benton’s rising profile, however, has been accompanied by an intensified level of scrutiny. The Washington Post reported Benton irritated Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and his deputies, offering unsolicited advice to the point he was shut out of some staff meetings. Shortly after the story appeared, Benton left his post as a senior White House adviser to the EPA — a job that came with a $179,700 annual salary — and was quietly sworn in to oversee the military draft agency. Shortly thereafter, MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow dedicated a segment of her nightly show to Benton, delving into his colorful legislative history, including his public spat with Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, whom he said acted like a “trashy, trampy-mouthed little girl.”
In his phone call, Benton brushed off the national media’s attention.
Fake news, he said. He’s accustomed to newspapers lying about him, he added.
He’s keeping his head down, focused on his job at the Selective Service. Just like he did at the EPA, he said.