"It is an honor to join President Trump's Cabinet as EPA Administrator. We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water," Zeldin said in a social media post.
In a statement, Trump said that Zeldin "has been a true fighter for America First politics."
"He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet," Trump said. "He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way."
Zeldin, who left Congress in 2023, was a surprising pick for the role. His public appearances both in his own campaigns and on behalf of Trump often had him speaking about issues like the military, national security, antisemitism, U.S.-Israel relations, immigration and crime.
He was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. While in Congress, he did not serve on committees with oversight of environmental policy.
In 2016 he pushed to change the designation of about 150 square miles of federal waters in Long Island Sound to state jurisdiction for New York and Rhode Island. He wanted to open the area to striped bass fishing, which is allowed in state waters but banned in the federal area.
Trump often pointed to Zeldin's performance in the 2022 gubernatorial race - where the Republican did far better than had been expected against Gov. Kathy Hochul - when he insisted he could be competitive in his Democratic home state. While Trump didn't win New York, he did far better than he had during previous elections, particularly in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.
Zeldin is the second New Yorker to be selected to Trump's cabinet so far.
Earlier Monday, Trump announced that he selected Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York to serve as US ambassador to United Nations.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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