US President Donald Trump framed his sweeping rollback of federal climate change policy on Thursday as a political win over the Democratic Party's radical environmental agenda, reprising a message Republicans have used in past elections and may again ahead of November's crucial midterms.
His announcement at the White House marked one of the most significant moves of his second term, as he revoked an Obama-era endangerment finding from 2009 that asserted pollution harms public health and the environment. This ruling has underpinned policies aimed at reducing emissions from cars and power plants for almost 17 years.
Trump criticized the prior administration's climate policy, labeling it a radical rule tied to a Green New Scam, and claimed his move fulfills a long-standing Republican promise to dismantle overreaching regulations. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin labeled the decision the single largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States of America and framed past climate rules as detrimental to economic growth.
The response from Democrats and environmental organizations has been overwhelmingly negative, with many arguing that this rollback undermines the US's ability to combat climate change. Former President Obama expressed that the move puts public safety and health at risk, prioritizing profit for the fossil fuel industry over environmental protection.
As climate policy swings dramatically with different administrations, this rollback signals the GOP's return to power as Democrats face mounting pressure to respond to concerns about climate change.
