Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin locked horns with Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in a heated Senate hearing.
Zeldin, a former Republican lawmaker from New York, made appearances on Capitol Hill to defend President Donald Trump’s proposed deep budget cuts to the EPA, landing in one fiery debate with White House on Wednesday. During the exchange, Zeldin blasted climate grifters and, at one point, seemed to jab at the Democrat senator for joining an all-white country club.
“We just want to stick to the truth,” he said after Whitehouse finished his questions.
“I’m not going to take morality lessons from people who join all-White country clubs.”
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin fires back at Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse with a personal jab after a heated clash over coal policy. pic.twitter.com/dKxOlmhh52
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 30, 2026
“We want to stick to the science. If you don’t agree with them, you don’t follow their logic, then they’ll want to vilify you,” Zeldin said, “and I’m not going to take morality lessons from people who join all-White country clubs.”
“I told Senator Sheldon WhiteClub today that I won’t be listening to or caring about any of his lessons on morality, knowing that he joined an all-white Rhode Island Country Club,” Zeldin wrote on X, where he posted a video from the hearing.
“I’m also done with the likes of AOC, Al Gore, John Kerry, and the rest of the lying cabal that make stupid climate predictions, plunder tens of billions of tax dollars, enrich their well-connected allies, and are committed to strangulating out of existence entire sectors of our economy,” he added, calling the climate alarmists “dishonest, power-hungry hacks.”
I told Senator Sheldon WhiteClub today that I won’t be listening to or caring about any of his lessons on morality knowing that he joined an all-white Rhode Island Country Club.
I’m also done with the likes of AOC, Al Gore, John Kerry, and the rest of the lying cabal that make… pic.twitter.com/En25wkTNnV
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) April 29, 2026
“One plant in Michigan has already cost Michiganders $600 million in excess health costs. That is money out of consumers’ pockets and into the pockets of your fossil fuel polluters, Trump’s big donors. Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?” Whitehouse asked at one point.
“We’re going to get to talk about math?” Zeldin pushed back. “Oh, this is great; I don’t even know where to start.”
“Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?” Whitehouse repeated. “Answer that question: Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?”
“Where are you tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?” Whitehouse demanded as Zeldin attempted to respond.
“Are you kidding me? Coal plants even staying open – you think that the math is that it’s better for West Virginia if you close down their coal plants and put these people out of work and tell them to learn how to code?” Zeldin said.”According to you, in your mind, that’s saving West Virginia? Is it saving them on energy access? Is it saving them on jobs?”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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