Trump’s Massive Deregulation Bombshell

President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin just delivered the knockout punch to decades of federal overreach with the largest deregulatory action in American history, dismantling 31 Obama-Biden era regulations that strangled our energy independence and drove up costs for every American family.

Story Highlights

EPA finalizes repeal of 2009 Endangerment Finding that enabled trillion-dollar regulatory cascade without congressional approval
31 deregulatory actions target vehicle mandates, power plant rules, and climate regulations estimated to save Americans $1.3 trillion
Consumers will see $2,400 savings per new vehicle as electric vehicle mandates are eliminated
Move restores state autonomy and ends what Zeldin calls the “climate change religion” choking American prosperity

Historic Deregulation Targets Biden-Era Overreach

On February 12, 2026, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stood beside President Trump to announce 31 sweeping deregulatory actions dismantling the regulatory stranglehold placed on American energy and industry. The centerpiece involves rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding, a bureaucratic power grab by the Obama EPA that declared greenhouse gases a public health threat without congressional authorization. This single finding unleashed a regulatory cascade costing trillions, suffocating coal plants, oil refineries, and automobile manufacturers while empowering unelected bureaucrats to reshape the American economy according to their climate agenda.

Ending Regulatory War on American Manufacturing

The Biden-Harris administration weaponized the EPA to force electric vehicle mandates and Clean Power Plan 2.0 rules that threatened to eliminate gas-powered cars and shutter reliable power generation. Trump’s actions reverse these government-forced transformations that benefited foreign adversaries while punishing American workers and consumers. Administrator Zeldin described the move as “driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion,” rejecting the notion that unelected EPA officials should dictate what vehicles families drive or how power plants generate electricity. The deregulation targets vehicle greenhouse gas rules from 2012 through 2027-plus, power plant emissions standards, and oil-and-gas sector restrictions.

Economic Relief for Families and Businesses

The EPA projects these actions will save Americans $1.3 trillion in avoided compliance costs, with families seeing immediate relief of approximately $2,400 per new vehicle purchase as burdensome mandates disappear. Auto manufacturers will regain flexibility to build vehicles consumers actually want rather than electric models pushed by government force. Energy producers in coal, oil, and natural gas sectors will operate without arbitrary emissions targets that made American energy uncompetitive. Small businesses and manufacturers facing particulate matter regulations will receive relief, while states gain authority over implementation plans previously controlled by federal bureaucrats in Washington.

Restoring Constitutional Balance and State Authority

These actions represent more than economic policy—they restore constitutional governance by returning power usurped by federal agencies back to Congress and the states. The 2009 Endangerment Finding allowed the EPA to regulate virtually any economic activity producing emissions without legislative approval, a clear violation of separation of powers. Pacific Legal Foundation praised the reversal, noting it ends an unauthorized regulatory cascade that reshaped the economy through bureaucratic fiat. States and tribes will gain cooperative federalism partnerships, resolving State Implementation Plan backlogs and enabling prescribed fire programs previously blocked by federal red tape.

Fierce Resistance from Left Reveals True Agenda

The predictable outrage from environmental activists and Democratic officials confirms these regulations were never about science but control. California Governor Gavin Newsom immediately filed lawsuits, revealing the left’s determination to maintain federal power over state energy decisions. Former EPA officials called the action a “betrayal of health protection,” ignoring that these same regulations inflated energy costs, killed jobs, and transferred wealth to foreign manufacturers. Stanford academics warn that greenhouse gas limits become “fuzzy at best,” inadvertently admitting the regulatory framework relied on questionable legal authority. This resistance exposes the climate agenda as a tool for government expansion rather than genuine environmental stewardship.