Several prominent activists in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement are urging President Trump to fire Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, over his decisions to loosen restrictions on harmful chemicals.
In a petition circulated on social media, the activists wrote that Mr. Zeldin “has prioritized the interests of chemical corporations over the well-being of American families and children.”
The petition was a remarkable rebuke of the E.P.A. chief from allies of another cabinet member, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary and the chief architect of the MAHA movement. It underscored growing tensions within Mr. Trump’s political base over the chemicals in the nation’s air, water and food supply.
As of early Friday afternoon, more than 2,800 people had signed the petition. The organizers included Vani Hari, a MAHA influencer who is known as the Food Babe to her 2.3 million Instagram followers, and Alex Clark, the host of a health and wellness podcast popular among conservatives.
Stefanie Spear, Mr. Kennedy’s principal deputy chief of staff, praised Mr. Zeldin’s announcement in April that the E.P.A. would re-examine research on the potential health risks of fluoride in water. Mr. Kennedy has called on states to ban fluoride from drinking water. Some studies suggest that excess exposure to fluoride — at levels twice the amount recommended by the federal government — could harm infants. But experts consider fluoridation essential to preventing tooth decay and one of the most important public health practices in the country.
Original article online at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/climate/maha-lee-zeldin-pesticides.html?unlocked_article_code=1.608.E451.NmWiKXJ4_sWg&smid=url-share