Trump selects Lee Zeldin to lead EPA

Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Trump selects Lee Zeldin to lead EPA

President-elect Trump has selected former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” Zeldin tweeted. “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

Trump made the nomination official in a statement Monday, saying 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.”

Zeldin served in Congress between 2015 and 2023. He did not seek reelection in 2022, instead challenging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for her seat.

While he lost the race by about 6 percentage points, he outperformed Republicans in past elections in the solidly blue state.

In its statement announcing that he would lead the EPA, the Trump campaign said that Zeldin’s “strong performance at the top of the ticket helped Republicans flip multiple suburban House districts in New York, resulting in the Republican Party’s majority in the House of Representative.”

Read more at TheHill.com.

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