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In a statement on Monday, Nov. 11, Trump said Zeldin "will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses," adding that Zeldin will still maintain "the highest environmental standards."
In a post on social media, Zeldin said, "It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator.
"We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water."
The 44-year-old Zeldin served in Congress representing New York's 1st District in eastern Long Island from 2015 to 2023. He did not run for re-election in 2022, in order to challenge incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, losing the race 53.2 percent to 46.8 percent.
A Long Island native who was born in East Meadow, Zeldin is a graduate of the University at Albany and Albany Law School. He grew up in Suffolk County, graduating from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach
Zeldin's Cabinet appointment is expected to gain approval from what will be a Republican-led US Senate.
Trump had earlier selected two other New York natives to senior positions, picking one of his strongest allies in Congress, Elise Stefanik, to serve as United States ambassador to the United Nations and a former member of his first administration, Tom Homan, as border czar.
Also on Monday, Trump picked Florida Congressman and former Army Colonel Mike Waltz to be National Security Advisor.
The 50-year-old Waltz, a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute who served in Afghanistan, worked in the Pentagon as a defense policy director for secretaries of defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. He also He also served in the White House as counterterrorism advisor.
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