Washington insiders are clutching their pearls again. Another day, another meltdown over President Trump’s promise to trim the fat from our bloated federal government.

The administrative state has grown like kudzu for decades, choking out efficiency and draining taxpayer dollars faster than a leaky faucet.

Remember when government agencies actually served the American people? Now they seem more interested in serving themselves.

Endless meetings about meetings. Committees to study the findings of other committees. All while hardworking Americans foot the bill through ever-increasing taxes.

President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday that the Environmental Protection Agency is about to get a serious haircut. During his first cabinet meeting of his second term, Trump revealed that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin plans to slash a whopping 65% from the agency.

From ‘Daily Caller’:

“I spoke with Lee Zeldin, and he thinks he’s going to be cutting 65 or so percent of the people from environmental, and we’re going to speed up the process too at the same time,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “He had a lot of people that weren’t doing their job, they were just obstructionists, and a lot of people that didn’t exist.”

The White House later clarified that the 65% figure refers to overall spending cuts at the EPA, which will include staff reductions.

But make no mistake – this is exactly the kind of swamp-draining that Trump promised on the campaign trail.

Years of Unchecked Growth

The EPA has ballooned to over 15,000 employees in the 2024 fiscal year. That’s a small city of bureaucrats. And apparently, that wasn’t enough! The agency had the audacity to request budget increases to add another 2,023 employees.

More paper-pushers. More red tape. More roadblocks for American businesses trying to create jobs. All while claiming they don’t have enough resources to fulfill their basic mission.

This is the administrative state in a nutshell. Create problems, then demand more money to fix the problems they created. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Where Did the Money Go?

Zeldin has been busy since taking the helm at EPA. He’s already uncovered some truly shocking mismanagement of taxpayer funds. According to reports, Zeldin recently “highlighted the most appalling mismanagement of taxpayer funds at the EPA, noting that billions were allegedly sent to left-wing nonprofits, even some linked to Democratic voter mobilization efforts under the previous presidential administration.” Big surprise.

Your tax dollars weren’t just funding excessive regulations. They were potentially being funneled to partisan political activities disguised as “environmental” initiatives.

The Department of Government Efficiency has already identified $65 billion in wasteful and fraudulent spending government-wide. And they’re just getting started.

Cutting Waste While Maintaining Function

Environmental activists are having conniption fits over the proposed cuts. But here’s what they’re not telling you: Trimming bureaucratic fat doesn’t mean abandoning environmental protection.

It means focusing on core functions rather than political activism.

“President Trump and EPA Administrator Zeldin are in lock step in creating a more efficient and effective federal government,” the EPA said in a statement that added the agency will cut “wasteful grants” and look at “organizational improvements to the personnel structure.”

Zeldin himself has stated, “We must ensure we are protecting the environment while also protecting our economy.” That’s common sense – something Washington has been sorely lacking.

The reality is that the EPA, like many federal agencies, has strayed far from its original purpose.

Trump’s approach is refreshingly straightforward: identify waste, eliminate redundancy, and refocus agencies on their core missions.

It’s the kind of management that any successful business would implement – and exactly what our government has needed for decades.

Key Takeaways:

• Trump and EPA Administrator Zeldin plan to cut approximately 65% agency’s workforce.
• The EPA has grown to over 15,000 employees and was seeking budget increases to add 2,000+ more.
• Billions in taxpayer dollars were allegedly directed to left-wing nonprofits.

Sources: Daily Caller, USA Today