Environmental policies enacted and proposed by the Trump administration have faced significant opposition from the American public, according to a report from Time.
The administration has been criticized for actions such as reducing staff at national parks, an initiative reportedly opposed by approximately 86% of Americans. Proposals to sell off public lands have also drawn strong disapproval, with nearly 90% of voters in Western states, where these lands are concentrated, voicing opposition. Furthermore, the report notes widespread opposition, around 85% of Americans, to rollbacks of policies like the Endangered Species Act. Protections for clean water, clean air, and national forests have also been diminished, actions that the report states are opposed by a vast majority of the public.
These environmental actions have landed on the "wrong side of the American people," according to the report, which suggests that public backlash has halted some of these decisions. The author suggests that the current administration's environmental record is among the worst in recent history.
While acknowledging that some White House officials are committed to conservation, the report posits that their voices are being overshadowed by those who act primarily in opposition to the Democratic Party. The author contends that these individuals may not fully appreciate the significance of America's natural landscapes. The report points to the Great American Outdoors Act, signed into law by President Trump, as his most popular act during his first term and the largest investment in national parks in history. This bipartisan legislation is presented as evidence that environmental issues can unify the country and garner broad support, suggesting a missed opportunity for the administration to align with public opinion on a popular issue.