Trump’s eco chief was schooled with his own words on climate change and the pause that followed was just magnificent
October 2016 was a simpler time. We had yet to vote a former reality TV show host and sexual predator into the White House and our politicians were willing to admit that there might be some problems with the environment.
It was in that political climate that then-Republican representative Lee Zeldin voiced his concerns about climate change and how we, as humans, could work to improve our conditions.
Fast forward to 2025. Zeldin is the current chief of the Environmental Protection Agency. And he is repealing many of the protections he was stumping for a decade ago.
CNN asked him about his new stance with some damning footage and his response was quiet and stammering and about as sad as you would expect from someone who did a backflip on his morals in order to appease Donald Trump.
“The climate has always been changing” — played a clip of himself warning about climate change in 2016, EPA chief Lee Zeldin now dismisses it pic.twitter.com/PVCaRvj4Zn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 3, 2025
The hypocrisy just oozes out of the screen and the internet showed up to register their disgust.
1.
Zeldin 2016: “We need to reduce fossil fuels.”
Zeldin 2025: “The climate’s always changed.”
Translation: I believed in science—until Daddy Trump told me not to.— Peter (@_e_tto_) August 3, 2025
2.
Funny how he transformed from warning about climate change in 2016 to shrugging it off as “the climate has always been changing” in 2025.
What changed? Only the politics.
Not the science. Not the stakes. Not the rising seas or record heat.
This is what happens when ideology…
— Evaristus Odinikaeze (@odinikaeze) August 3, 2025
3.
The only qualification to be a conservative nowadays is to be a scamming liar and grifter.
Lee Zeldin is the perfect example of the “modern conservative.”
— Fozon Capital (@FozonCapital) August 3, 2025
4.
Loyalty over reality.
— Plankton (@Plankt0n01) August 3, 2025
5.
He knows that climate change is real and a serious danger, but his master who is firmly rooted in his own stupidity, has told him that’s not true
Toadies always follow their master— Barbara Levitan (@BarbaraLevitan) August 3, 2025
6.
It’s amazing how many people are willing to throw out their own values and convictions. For what? A job? Having an ass to kiss?
— may contain sarcasm – Common_Sense (@itsevilmee) August 3, 2025
7.
They don’t even care about their own children.
— Char crazy cat lady (@Chargabar) August 3, 2025
8.
hahahaha…what’s changed is he’s been told to tow the line or else he can look for another job.
— Red&Dread (@RedandDread) August 3, 2025