Trump EPA Guts Federal Fight Against Climate Change

The Brief

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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President Donald Trump's aggressive shrinking of the EPA culminated in its most consequential action yet: eliminating the legal and scientific foundation for policies that fight planet-warming pollution.

Why it matters

The Trump EPA's actions to roll back pollution controls and cut staff and programs may be harder to reverse than the first time around, resulting in longer lasting public health and economic impacts.

The details

In Trump's second term, the EPA has taken steps to eliminate the legal and scientific foundation for policies that fight climate change, including cutting staff and programs focused on pollution control.

  • The Trump EPA's actions occurred during his second term as president.

The players

President Donald Trump

The former president who oversaw the aggressive shrinking of the EPA during his second term.

EPA

The federal Environmental Protection Agency, which has seen staff and program cuts as well as efforts to roll back pollution controls under the Trump administration.

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The takeaway

The Trump EPA's actions to undermine climate change policies may have long-lasting public health and economic consequences that will be difficult to reverse.