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ByMatthewDaly and Jill Colvin The Associated Press WASHINGTON Declaring an end to what he's called "the war on coal," Presi- dent Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that eliminates numerous restrictions on fossil fuel production, breaking with leaders across the globe who have embraced cleaner energy sources. The order makes good on Trump's campaign pledge to unravel former President Barack Obama's efforts to curb global warming, elim- inating nearly a dozen mea- sures in an effort to boost domestic energy produc- tion, especially oil, natural gas and coal. Environmental activists, including former Vice Pres- ident Al Gore, denounced the plan. But Trump said the effort would spark "a new energy revolution" and lead to "unbelievable" American prosperity. "That is what this is all about: bringing back our jobs, bringing back our dreams and making Amer- ica wealthy again," Trump said during a signing cer- emony at the Environ- mental Protection Agency headquarters, where he was flanked on stage by more than a dozen coal miners. Throughout the election, Trump accused the former president of waging "a war" against coal as he cam- paigned in economically depressed swaths of states like West Virginia, Pennsyl- vania and Ohio. The miners "told me about the efforts to shut down their mines, their communities and their very way of life. I made them this promise: We will put our miners back to work," the president said. "My admin- istration is putting an end to the war on coal." But Trump's promise runs counter to market forces, including U.S. util- ities converting coal-fired power plants to cheaper, cleaner-burning natural gas. And Democrats, envi- ronmental groups and sci- entists said the executive or- der ignores the realities of climate change. "There is much our na- tion can do to address the risks that climate change poses to human health and safety, but disregarding sci- entific evidence puts our communities in danger," said Rush Holt, chief exec- utive officer of the Ameri- can Association for the Ad- vancement of Science, the nation's largest general sci- entific society. California Gov. Jerry Brown was more blunt. "Gutting the Clean Power Plan is a colossal mistake and defies science itself. Erasing climate change may take place in Donald Trump's mind, but nowhere else," Brown said. EXECUTIVE ORDER PABLOMARTINEZMONSIVAIS—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS President Donald Trump, accompanied by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt, third from le , and Vice President Mike Pence, right, signs an Energy Independence Executive Order, Tuesday at EPA headquarters in Washington. Trump, in break from other world leaders, digs in on coal By Julie Pace The Associated Press WASHINGTON In the be- hind-the-scenes drama of who's up and who's down in Donald Trump's White House, chief of staff Reince Priebus is playing a star- ring role. Priebus, a genial Mid- westerner with deep ties to the Republican estab- lishment that Trump top- pled, has faced questions about his future since the day he set foot in the White House. And the focus on him is intensifying follow- ing Trump's failure to get enough GOP lawmakers to support a White House- backed health care bill, an embarrassing blow for the new president. There's blame to spare for the health care debacle at both the White House and on Capitol Hill. But Priebus is a particularly rich target, given that his value to Trump is tied to his relationships with GOP lawmakers, many of whom were elected during his six years as chairman of the Republican National Com- mittee. "Reince doesn't have a magic wand," said Henry Barbour, a friend and Re- publican national commit- teeman. "He doesn't have an ability to make people do what they don't want to do — and he doesn't want to." Priebus' standing in the White House has broad implications for Trump's agenda. Beyond Vice Pres- ident Mike Pence, he repre- sents the president's most direct link the traditional underpinnings of the Re- publican Party and is the buffer between the fiery na- tionalists and the more lib- eral New Yorkers who also occupy top White House jobs. Trump has voiced confi- dence in Priebus in recent conversations with associ- ates, including after House Speaker Paul Ryan pulled the health care bill off the floor Friday, and White House officials say the two men appear have developed a comfortable relationship. During the Republican primary, Priebus, 45, of- ten remarked to colleagues that he spoke with Trump more than any of the other 17 GOP candidates. The president likes to make good-natured digs at Prie- bus in public remarks, jok- ing about his "crazy name" and telling a meeting of auto industry executives that his chief of staff might end up running a car com- pany someday. For laughs, Trump will sometimes recount a tense exchange with Priebus at one of the campaign's low- est moments: the release of a video in which Trump is heard making predatory comments about women. During an emergency cam- paign meeting, Priebus told Trump he should ei- ther drop out of the race or risk dragging down Re- publican candidates across the country. Steve Bannon, Trump's senior adviser, said it's not Priebus' grim — and ultimately inaccurate — warning that stuck with the president. It's the fact that Priebus showed up at all, given the intense pres- sure at the time for Repub- lican leaders to abandon the party's nominee. 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