Trump taps Lee Zeldin for EPA, Rep. Elise Stefanik for UN post

November 11

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as former U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin speaks at a rally ahead of the New Hampshire primary election in Concord, New Hampshire, U.S. January 19, 2024.

Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters

President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that he would appoint former Rep. Lee Zeldin as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and current Rep. Elise Stefanik as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Both Zeldin and Stefanik are Republicans from New York.

Trump said that Zeldin, an attorney who represented a Long Island congressional district for four terms, “has been a true fighter for America First policies.”

“He 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,” Trump said in a statement.

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Zeldin, 44, in a tweet wrote that “it is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator.”

“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 wrote. “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

Zeldin was the Republican Party’s nominee for governor of New York in 2022, when he was defeated by incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Zeldin has an extremely low lifetime rating score — 14% — from the League of Conservation Voters, for his many votes in the House of Representatives that were considered “anti-environment” by that group.

The executive director of the Sierra Club, a leading environmental group, blasted Trump’s selection of Zeldin for the EPA post.

“Naming an unqualified, anti-American worker who opposes efforts to safeguard our clean air and water lays bare Donald Trump’s intentions to, once again, sell our health, our communities, our jobs, and our future out to corporate polluters,” said Executive Director Ben Jealous. “Our lives, our livelihoods, and our collective future cannot afford Lee Zeldin — or anyone who seeks to carry out a mission antithetical to the EPA’s mission.”

Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images

Earlier Monday, NBC News confirmed that Trump had selected Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York as his ambassador to the United Nations, his first Cabinet pick. Stefanik is chair of the House Republican Conference.

In a statement, Trump noted that Stefanik was “the first Member of Congress to endorse me, and has always been a staunch advocate.”

“Elise is a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and led the charge against antisemitism on college campuses,” Trump said. “She will be an incredible Ambassador to the United Nations, delivering Peace through Strength and America First National Security policies!”

Stefanik’s selection as U.N. ambassador could reduce the number of Republicans in the House of Representatives. The GOP currently has a majority in the House, but NBC News has not yet projected which party will control that chamber in 2025. If the Republicans do maintain control, their margin will be slim.

Trump announced Sunday that Tom Homan would be his so-called border czar, who, in addition to securing U.S. borders “will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin.”

Homan is the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

This is developing news. Check back for updates.

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