Agency official defends rapid EPA deregulation rollout, criticizes CNN coverage

An agency official at the Environmental Protection Agency defended a rapid March 2025 rollout of deregulation initiatives and criticized national media coverage for mistakes and what the speaker called superficial reporting.

The official said the agency released "what we call it at the EPA the greatest day of deregulation in the history of the United States," noting the package included "over 30 different initiatives" announced that day. They described a staggered distribution strategy, saying each announcement was sent to Washington energy and environment reporters individually every five minutes.

The speaker pointed to a specific example on television, saying CNN correspondent Bill Weir, appearing with Caitlyn Collins, publicized a press release that still contained a placeholder marked "000000B/C." "They didn't even proofread their press releases," the official said, arguing the error illustrated broader problems in how the media covered the agency's actions.

The official criticized reporters more broadly as offering "an echo chamber of like sound bites and nonsense," saying many do "not do their own homework" before lecturing the public. The speaker framed the push for deregulation as aligned with interests represented in the room, saying many states and significant parts of the American economy, innovation and technology sectors were present.

No on-the-record response from the journalists mentioned in the remarks was included in the transcript. The remarks were a defense of the agency's communications strategy and a rebuke of how some national outlets covered the announcements.