by Howard Haykin

Redefining "low points" for the Trump administration has become a daily occurence. And who better than U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to create the latest "low point."

You may recall that, over the past five years, Perry has been calling on the federal government to disband the Energy Department. Just imagine where Perry would be if the Energy Dept didn't exist - probably unemployed, while plotting his next run as the presidential candidate for the Republican party.

All seriousness aside, Rick Perry got duped into a lengthy phone call last week with a Russian prankster who Perry thought was Ukraine's prime minister. Perry got into a 22-minute discussion on a wide range of energy matters, including his hope to expand American coal exports to Ukraine.

Perry’s call, which happened one month after he met with the Ukrainian President, was actually with comedians Vladimir Krasnov and Alexei Stolyarov – aka the "Jerky Boys of Russia." The pair have targeted celebrities and politicians, including Elton John who, at the time, thought he was speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Perry’s call, first reported by E&E news, was recorded and posted online. (bit.ly/2eMg35v)  E&E News brands itself as providing “the essential news for energy & environment professionals."

For the record, it’s unclear how the U.S. would bring more coal to Ukraine, but Perry hinted on the call that the Commerce Department was working on a solution.