Donald Trump’s dominant victory in the presidential election in conjunction with continued Republican majorities in both houses of Congress is expected to have several levels of impact on U.S. environmental and energy policies. All impacts described are based on statements President-elect Trump has made during the months leading up to the election. Bear in mind that the environment and energy were rarely Trump’s primary focus and were typically raised in conjunction with their roles in the U.S. economy and employment. However, Trump did occasionally stress the importance of the environment itself. For example, in one of Trump’s speeches that took a look at environment/energy, he states:
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“I believe firmly in conserving our wonderful natural resources and beautiful natural habitats. My environmental agenda will be guided by true specialists in conservation, not those with radical political agendas.” (Speech, Shale Insight Conference, September 22, 2016)