Steve Bannon and Scott Pruitt beat Kushner, Tillerson and Ivanka on Paris Agreement

President Trump sided Thursday with the members of his administration who wanted the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and against influential voices who wanted him to stay or renegotitate it from within.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt had become a leading voice for withdrawing completely from the climate pact. He was the only Cabinet member to speak Thursday after Trump's appearance in the Rose Garden.

Steve Bannon, White House chief strategist, was one of Pruitt's top allies in the West Wing as factions battled internally over the future of the Paris accords. He sat in the front row as the president announced his decision.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had advocated for remaining in the deal, arguing the U.S. should not give up its seat at the table by exiting the deal. He was absent from the Rose Garden ceremony. Energy Secretary Rick Perry had voiced support for renegotiating the terms of the agreement, which Trump pledged to do Thursday — but in the aftermath of U.S. withdrawal, not as an alternative to it.

"So we're getting out, but we will start to negotiate, and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair," Trump said at the White House. "And if we can, that's great. And if we can't, that's fine."