★ Government Action
Trump order directs EPA to reconsider 2009 endangerment finding
Climate Policy RollbackDeregulation
Filed January 2025
★ The Brief
What happened
Hours into his term on January 20, 2025, Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" order gave EPA 30 days to recommend whether the 2009 greenhouse-gas endangerment finding, the legal foundation for federal climate and vehicle-emissions rules, should stand.
Who enabled it
Who benefits
Deal or steal?
Trump made this a literal Day-One act, ordering the review within hours of taking office; thirteen months later his EPA eliminated the finding outright, removing the legal basis for every federal climate rule for the fossil-fuel donors who had just funded his return.
On January 20, 2025 (Day One), President Trump signed Executive Order 14154, 'Unleashing American Energy,' which directed EPA to submit within 30 days recommendations on the legality and continuing applicability of the Obama-era 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. This initiated the formal rulemaking process that ultimately led to the finding's elimination.
Actors
Who pushed it · 2Who initiated, paid, or pushed the action.
Donald TrumpSigned Executive Order 14154 directing EPA to review and submit recommendations on the 2009 Endangerment Finding within 30 days of taking office.
Environmental Protection AgencyDirected by the Executive Order to evaluate the legality and applicability of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and submit recommendations within 30 days.
Sector-wide beneficiaries
- Fossil Fuels
Targets the legal basis for federal greenhouse-gas rules, relieving the fossil-fuel industry of the emissions standards built on the 2009 endangerment finding.
Sector-aligned organizations that have paid into Trump’s orbit:
Individuals from these organizations who have personally paid into Trump’s orbit:
Further reading
- ★ Government ActionFebruary 2026Trump's EPA eliminates climate endangerment finding and emission rules
- ★ Government ActionFebruary 2025Trump creates National Energy Dominance Council chaired by Burgum
- ★ Government ActionJanuary 2025Trump order ends EV mandates and state emissions waivers
- ★ Government ActionJanuary 2025Trump order directs agencies to rescind energy-burdening regulations
- ★ Government ActionJanuary 2025Trump revokes twelve Biden climate and environmental orders
- ★ Government ActionOctober 2025Interior reopens 1.56-million-acre ANWR Coastal Plain to oil and gas leasing