White House clarifies EPA will cut 65% of spending, not personnel

The White House clarified that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not planning to lay off 65% of its staff, but to cut 65% of total spending.

The announcement follows a Wednesday morning cabinet meeting. President Donald Trump praised EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for a plan to make aggressive cuts at the agency, including reportedly laying off 65% of employees.

"I spoke with Lee Zeldin and he thinks he’s going to be cutting 65 or so percent of the people from Environmental [Protection Agency] and we’re going to speed up the process, too," Trump said at the cabinet meeting attended by Zeldin.

However, a White House spokesman rectified Trump's comments, which had caused alarm among agency employees.

"President Trump, DOGE, and Administrator Zeldin are committed to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse across all agencies," White House spokesman Taylor Rogers said in a statement, referring to the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.

"After recently identifying $20 billion fraudulent in spending, Administrator Zeldin is committed to eliminating 65% of the EPA’s wasteful spending," he clarified.

The White House announcement comes as virtually all federal government agencies are being restructured to reduce wasteful taxpayer spending.

The EPA, in particular, was highlighted by finding $20 billion in climate funds that the Biden administration gave to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, where grants were awarded and administered by nonprofits at Citibank. Now the Trump administration wants that money back.