{"id":331,"date":"2026-04-01T23:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T23:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golliza.com\/?p=331"},"modified":"2026-04-01T23:51:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T23:51:00","slug":"president-trumps-squads-of-god-block-protection-of-endangered-species-in-gulf-of-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golliza.com\/?p=331","title":{"rendered":"President Trump’s ‘Squads of God’ block protection of endangered species in Gulf of Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Endangered Species Act is the foundational law protecting endangered plants and animals in the United States, and in the 50 years since it was enacted, it has blocked the progress of thousands of resource-extraction projects, including oil drilling, mining, and logging. This law is difficult to circumvent, but it contains important loopholes. If the federal government wants to proceed with a project, even one that threatens an endangered species, it can convene a committee known as the “God Squad,” made up of the heads of six executive agencies, including the Interior Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to vote on whether to override the law.<\/p>\n

The “God Squad” loophole is troublesome by design and has only been triggered a few times so far. In 1978, the commission voted to deny exemptions to small dams in Tennessee. The following year, he voted in favor of a small dam in Wyoming despite concerns about whooping crane habitat. The commission met again in 1992, granted exemptions from the sale of thousands of acres of forest land in Oregon, and dismissed threats to the spotted owl. This exemption was rescinded after litigation. <\/p>\n

On Tuesday, the Trump administration convened its “God Squad” for the first time in more than 30 years, seeking to grant far larger waivers than the committee had previously considered. In a morning meeting that lasted about 15 minutes, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the president’s case. \u201cWe cannot allow our own rules to weaken our position and strengthen those who seek to harm us,\u201d Hegseth said. <\/p>\n

The commission then unanimously voted to waive all Endangered Species Act regulations for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The government itself notes that oil and gas production in the Gulf is “likely to jeopardize the survival of the rice whale.” The analysis concluded that the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed 17 percent of the whale population, and that ship strikes can kill multiple whales a year. The decision to override the Endangered Species Act could lead to the extinction of the gray whale, which lives only in the northern Gulf of Mexico and has only about 50 individuals left.<\/p>\n

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“This is another example of this administration trying to determine the limits of how far it can push existing norms and authorities,” said Sally Jewell, who served as Interior Secretary under Obama.<\/p>\n

In granting the exemption, the committee cited a section of the Endangered Species Act that had never been used before. The statute states in direct language that “the committee shall grant immunity for agency actions if the Secretary of Defense determines that national security reasons require a waiver.” <\/p>\n

In expressing support for the waiver, committee members cited the national security implications of the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, which President Trump joined last month. The war closed the Strait of Hormuz, preventing millions of barrels of oil from moving around the world and sending fuel prices soaring.<\/p>\n

“Recent hostile actions by Iran’s terrorist regime highlight this.” [sic] “We reiterate why robust domestic oil production is a national security imperative. Production in the U.S. Gulf provides a critical buffer, protecting our economy and military from foreign instability and reducing the strategic influence of our adversaries,” Hegseth said at the committee meeting.<\/p>\n

The United States produces more oil than any other country, and the Gulf of Mexico accounts for only about 15 percent of the country’s oil production, a much lower share than before the fracking boom, and only about 2 percent of natural gas production. \u201cAvoiding environmental laws will not accelerate production and will not solve the challenges our country currently faces,\u201d Jewell said. Moreover, the national security risks cited by the administration would not exist without President Trump’s own decision to enter the Iran conflict. “I don’t see this as addressing a short-term national security crisis,” she said. <\/p>\n

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\"Endangered
The Endangered Species Commission, or “God’s Squad,” meets in Washington, D.C., to discuss the Gulf of Mexico. Federal officials in attendance included the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
\n Ministry of the Interior<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

So what does the Trump administration think is such a serious threat to national security? The assumed threat in this case appears to be lawsuits from environmental groups. “It’s a solution in search of a problem, but we feel it’s the most harmful way to go,” Steve Masuda, lead ocean attorney for the environmental group Earthjustice, told Grist.<\/p>\n

Last year, the government concluded that Gulf oil producers could prevent harm to whales by using new whale detection technology. Environmental groups sued over this conclusion, arguing that the technology was speculative and insufficient on its own. The plaintiffs argued that limiting vessel speeds was the most effective way to prevent whale deaths.<\/p>\n

The state of Louisiana, Chevron, and the American Petroleum Institute also sued the federal government over the proposed requirement to use whale detection technology. They said that was too harsh and argued that rice whales are not as threatened as the federal government thinks. BP, which is building a new offshore oil and gas platform called Kaskida in the Gulf of Mexico, approached the White House and three federal agencies on the issue at least once a quarter last year, according to federal disclosures. (BP did not respond to a request for comment; the American Petroleum Institute said in a statement to Grist that it does not support the God Squad meeting.) A federal court rejected the government’s proposed use of whale-detection technology in January, and there are currently no active Endangered Species Act limits on vessel speeds in the offshore oil industry.<\/p>\n

After all, the Trump administration’s attempts to avoid litigation have already led to lawsuits. Earthjustice and other environmental groups announced Tuesday afternoon that they will file a lawsuit over God Squad’s decision.<\/p>\n

Editor’s note: Earthjustice is a Grist advertiser. Advertisers have no role in Grist’s editorial decisions.<\/em><\/p>\n

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