Trump picks Lee Zeldin to run EPA
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President-elect Trump will nominate former House lawmaker Lee Zeldin of New York to run the EPA, Zeldin confirmed on Monday.
Why it matters: Trump has promised a wave of deregulation and changes to U.S. environmental policy — including reversing most of President Biden's climate agenda, as Axios Pro reported last week.
- The early pick — and messaging around it — underscores Trump's plan to quickly abandon Biden-era environmental and climate initiatives.
- Zeldin would be tasked with weakening or reversing carbon emissions rules for power plants and vehicles, and many other policies.
The intrigue: Environmental topics were not a big focus for Zeldin while he was a House member.
Zoom in: "We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI," Zeldin said on X.
- "We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water," he added.
- More signs of his specific plans should emerge at a Senate confirmation hearing.
Trump said in a statement to the N.Y. Post Zeldin "will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet."
What we're watching: Reversing regulations often demands careful bureaucratic and legal spadework.
- Environmental groups are already gearing up to oppose Trump's deregulatory push.
What they're saying: The League of Conservation Voters, a major environmental group, quickly bashed the pick.
- They noted Zeldin had just a 14% score in their lawmaker rankings when he was in Congress.
Go deeper: Trump's win could upend energy policy
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional statements.
