President Donald Trump is seeking to claim the mantle of environmental steward as he announces an expansion of a ban on offshore drilling and highlights conservation projects in Florida.
But his administration has overturned or weakened numerous regulations meant to protect air and water quality and lands essential for imperiled species. Speaking Tuesday beside the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Trump signed paperwork to extend and expand a ban on new offshore drilling sites off the Florida coast as well as Georgia and South Carolina. The existing moratorium covers the Gulf of Mexico. Trump says the new ban also covers the Atlantic coast — a significant political concern in coastal states like Florida.
