Lee Zeldin Knows How to Defend Trump. Will He Defend the Environment? NYT | Top Stories Nicholas Fandos and Lisa Friedman 13 November 2024 at 06:28 The choice of Mr. Zeldin, a former Republican congressman of New York, to be the next E.P.A. administrator caught even some of his closest allies by surprise. © Maddie McGarvey for The New York TimesLee Zeldin, Mr. Trump’s choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said recently that he would prioritize “unleashing economic prosperity” and pursue “energy dominance.”