JULY 12, 2026
EPA Administrator Zeldin argues climate projections carry uncertainty, pushes back on 'science denier' label
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said at the Great American State Fair that people who disagree with specific long-range climate projections should not automatically be labeled "science deniers." Zeldin argued that forecasts for conditions in 2050 or 2100 represent a range of possible outcomes rather than certainties, and that projections should be regularly updated as new data emerges. The Trump administration has separately moved to revisit several climate-related regulations, including the EPA's 2009 Endangerment Finding.
At the Great American State Fair, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin was asked to name specific climate predictions from the Biden administration that he believes have been disproven by new evidence. Rather than cite a specific prediction, Zeldin shifted to a broader argument about how long-range climate projections should be interpreted and communicated to the public.
Zeldin said that forecasts extending decades into the future — specifying temperatures or sea levels in 2100 — do not adequately acknowledge the range of possible outcomes from optimistic to pessimistic. "Relying on present day facts rather than bad assumptions from the past is incredibly important," he said, adding that real-world data accumulating over time should be compared continuously against earlier projections.
His central objection was to the application of the phrase "science denier" to those who question specific projections. "I don't think it's a good idea that if someone disagrees with someone else's prediction of exactly what the temperature's gonna be in the year 2100, that all of a sudden that person is just automatically some science denier," Zeldin said. He urged that dissenting views be heard out, noting that individuals may be drawing on different studies.