Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin told Newsmax on Friday that the Trump administration is dismantling what he and President Donald Trump call the “green new scam,” a series of climate-driven energy policies they argue enrich elites while burdening ordinary Americans.
Zeldin’s comments to “The Chris Salcedo Show” came just days after Trump used his address to the U.N. General Assembly to denounce global climate initiatives.
The president declared that “windmills are pathetic,” called the notion of a carbon footprint “a hoax made up by people with evil intentions,” and warned that “if you don’t get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail.”
He further argued that “energy and open immigration is destroying Europe,” contending that U.S. policymakers should avoid the same mistakes.
Echoing Trump, Zeldin accused Democrats of funneling “tens of billions of dollars” in taxpayer money to left-wing environmental groups under the guise of climate policy.
“What do you call it when you’re pushing forward policies that will cause extreme economic pain to the people who can least afford it?” Zeldin asked.
“We’re calling it the ‘green new scam,’ and we want to end it. And we are ending it.”
Zeldin also pointed to California as proof of the failure of climate-first policies, noting that the state is now urging petroleum producers to remain despite years of vilifying fossil fuels.
“It’s 100% indisputable,” Zeldin said. “What California loses might be Arizona’s gain. What New York loses comes to the benefit of places like Texas, Florida, the Carolinas, and Tennessee.”
Zeldin said he witnessed firsthand that Trump’s pro-energy agenda is attracting investment. He cited a July economic summit in Pittsburgh, hosted by Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., where $92 billion in new projects were announced for Pennsylvania.
“There’s a reason why this money isn’t being announced into a state like New York,” Zeldin said. “It’s because you put forth these energy policies that chase away investment.”
Americans voted overwhelmingly in November for Trump’s mandate to restore energy independence and consumer choice — a direction that will continue to deliver prosperity and security, he said.
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