Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin faced intense scrutiny during a CNN interview Sunday when confronted with his previous statements on climate change, following his agency’s decision to reverse a key 2009 environmental finding. The former New York congressman appeared visibly uncomfortable when host Katie Hunt presented him with his own remarks from 2016 that directly contradicted his current position.
The confrontation occurred during CNN’s State of the Union program, where Hunt questioned Zeldin about the EPA’s Tuesday announcement reversing its 2009 determination that greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to human health. Hunt noted that Zeldin appeared skeptical of the scientific consensus regarding manmade climate change drivers, prompting a sharp response from the administrator.
Zeldin dismissed Hunt’s characterization as an attempt to twist his words, instead arguing that the EPA derives its authority from statutory law rather than making determinations that should be left to Congress. He suggested the agency had previously overstepped its bounds in making the 2009 finding.
The interview took a dramatic turn when Hunt noted that Zeldin had “sounded a lot different” during his congressional tenure and played footage of his 2016 remarks. In the clip, Zeldin acknowledged climate change and advocated for environmental stewardship, stating that the key was reducing reliance on fossil fuels and pursuing alternative energy sources. “Our climate is changing. We need to do more to be better stewards of the air, our land, the water,” Zeldin had said in 2016.
When Hunt asked what had changed for him, Zeldin paused for four seconds before responding that nothing had changed and that climate has always been changing. He pivoted to discussing energy independence, emphasizing the need to reduce reliance on foreign energy sources and unleash domestic energy dominance.
The policy reversal represents a significant shift in federal environmental policy. The 2009 EPA finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare served as the scientific foundation for numerous climate regulations during previous administrations. Zeldin’s decision to rescind this determination removes a key regulatory framework that environmental agencies have relied upon for more than a decade.
The timing of this reversal coincides with broader changes in U.S. international environmental commitments. The Trump administration has initiated withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time, with the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations tasked with submitting formal withdrawal notice under an executive order titled “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements.”
The Paris Climate Agreement involves more than 194 sovereign states pledging to limit global average temperature increases to avoid catastrophic climate impacts. The United States previously withdrew from the accords in 2017 under the first Trump administration, which characterized the agreement as unfair to American interests, before rejoining under the Biden administration in 2021.
Zeldin’s background includes representing New York in Congress, where he ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022 against Democrat Kathy Hochul. During that gubernatorial campaign, Zeldin focused primarily on crime issues and received endorsement from former President Trump. He had voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results during his congressional tenure.
The EPA administrator’s current stance marks a departure from positions he held as a congressman representing Long Island constituents. His 2016 comments reflected support for environmental stewardship and clean energy development, positions that aligned with the scientific consensus on climate change during his congressional service.
The reversal of the 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding eliminates regulatory authority that federal agencies have used to justify emissions standards and climate-related regulations across multiple sectors. This change affects the legal framework for addressing climate change at the federal level and represents one of the most significant environmental policy shifts in recent years.
Hunt’s interview strategy of confronting Zeldin with his previous statements highlighted the evolution of his public position on climate science and environmental policy. The visual evidence of his earlier stance provided a stark contrast to his current role overseeing the reversal of climate regulations and scientific determinations.
