CNBC Television
CNBC TelevisionJan 1
Politics

President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin make an announcement — 5/21/2026

49 min video5 key momentsWatch original
TL;DR

Trump and EPA chief Zeldin terminate Biden's refrigeration equipment rules, claiming $2.4B annual savings and protection of 350K jobs.

Key Insights

1

Equipment replacement costThe Biden-era refrigeration rule would have cost grocery stores $800,000 to $1.5 million per location to replace working equipment with inferior technology that doesn't cool food properly, threatening independent grocers with bankruptcy.

2

2.4 billion annual savingsToday's action saves American families and businesses $2.4 billion annually while safeguarding 350,000 jobs, with supermarkets alone seeing $800 million in savings that can be passed to consumers.

3

1.2 trillion in deregulation savingsThe Trump administration's deregulatory agenda has saved the country $1.2 trillion so far by eliminating 20-50 regulations for every new one added, averaging $14,000 in savings per American family.

4

2% drives 91% of crime2% of the population in Washington D.C. was responsible for 91% of crime; moving over 5,000 career criminals out transformed the city from unsafe to thriving, with restaurants reopening and people walking safely.

5

Reflecting pool rescueThe reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, broken since 1922 despite Obama and Biden spending hundreds of millions, will be fixed for under $20 million in just a couple months.

6

Birthright citizenship costThe Supreme Court's pending birthright citizenship ruling could cost the country hundreds of billions if it allows 20-25% of new arrivals to gain citizenship automatically, with Trump calling it a potential 'disgrace.'

Deep Dive

The refrigeration regulation rollback

Trump opens by announcing the termination of Biden's so-called technology transition rule, which forced refrigeration equipment replacement across the grocery and restaurant industry. The rule mandated expensive high-cost refrigerants that he claims made equipment worse, not better, while driving up prices for American consumers. Multiple grocery executives — Kroger CEO Greg Ferraro, Piggly Wiggly owner Kevin McDaniel, and Food Fresh owner Michael Gay — testify that the mandate would have forced them to replace functioning equipment with inferior alternatives costing between $800,000 and $1.5 million per store. McDaniel notes the new refrigerants don't work as well and would have bankrupted independent operators across the Southeast. Trump emphasizes that he personally knows grocery owners who bought the mandated equipment early and told him it doesn't cool food properly. The administration claims the savings will reach $2.4 billion annually while protecting 350,000 jobs, with $800 million specifically benefiting supermarkets that can now pass savings to customers.

The broader deregulatory agenda and economic claims

Trump broadens the discussion to his overall deregulatory framework, claiming his administration has saved the country $1.2 trillion by eliminating roughly 20-50 regulations for every new regulation added—in his first term it was a minimum of 10-to-1. He states this equals $14,000 per American family in reduced costs. Trump cites record employment numbers, noting the U.S. has more people working than at any point in history. He credits the deregulation push to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, calling him an MVP for seeing the difference between necessary environmental protection and 'stupid' rules that waste money. The stock market has hit all-time highs 59 times in a short period, he notes, and 401(k)s have reached their highest values ever. He frames affordability as his administration's core mission after inheriting high inflation from the Biden years, pointing to egg prices and energy costs as examples of his success in bringing inflation down across the board.

Washington D.C. security and infrastructure restoration

Trump pivots to D.C. transformation, claiming the city was one of the most unsafe in the country under Biden and is now considered very safe after his administration moved over 5,000 career criminals out through the open border. He cites a statistic that 2% of the population creates 91% of crime, and removing that 2% has triggered restaurant openings, foot traffic increases, and White House staff expressing gratitude for being able to walk to work without fear. He then details infrastructure projects: fixing 21 of 31 broken fountains in Washington, replacing a slate walking path at the White House with granite he paid for personally, and most ambitiously, restoring the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. The pool, broken since 1922 despite Obama and Biden spending hundreds of millions of dollars on failed repairs, will be fixed under $20 million in a couple of months instead of the estimated $350 million over four years. Trump describes it as 2,500 feet long by nearly 200 feet wide—so massive that the tallest building in the world couldn't reach the end if laid down. He's chosen 'American flag blue' for the water and plans to complete it before July 4th.

Supreme Court battles: tariffs, birthright citizenship, and the triumphal arch

Trump expresses frustration over the Supreme Court's tariff decision that cost the country $149 billion—money his administration must pay back because the Court told him to implement tariffs a different way while allowing previous collections to stand. He had a powerful dissent and should have won, he argues, and criticizes the Court for missing an opportunity to add a simple sentence protecting collected revenue. This sets up his greater concern: the pending birthright citizenship ruling. Trump characterizes birthright citizenship as unique to the U.S. and harmful, arguing it was originally meant for freed slaves after the Civil War, not for wealthy foreign nationals gaming the system. He predicts 20-25% of new arrivals would come through birthright citizenship if the rule stands, costing hundreds of billions and creating uncontrollable immigration. He also announces approval for a triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery, similar in size to Paris's Arc de Triomphe, calling it necessary because Washington D.C. is the only major capital without one. The arch requires no Congressional approval since Interior Department land is involved and already approved by the Fine Arts Commission.

Iran strategy, AI postponement, and election integrity

When pressed on Iran policy, Trump reiterates that his administration will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons under any circumstance, framing it as more important than any other issue. He claims the U.S. has destroyed 85% of Iran's missile capacity and knocked out their air defense, establishing what he calls total control of the Strait of Hormuz through a blockade. He's open to negotiations but firm on preventing nuclear proliferation, warning that a nuclear Middle East would lead to war in Europe and America. On AI, Trump reveals he postponed an executive order and press conference signing because certain aspects would hinder America's lead over China in AI development, which is bringing tremendous jobs. He consulted with President Xi, who acknowledged America's dominance. Finally, Trump pushes the Save America Act for voter ID and proof of citizenship requirements, criticizing mail-in voting as corrupt—citing Maryland's 500,000 compromised ballots. He notes 87% of Democrat voters support voter ID but Democrat politicians don't, claiming they rely on cheating to stay competitive given their unpopular policies on open borders, transgender issues, and taxes.

Takeaways

  • If you operate a small or mid-size grocery store, revisit your recent equipment upgrade budgets — the regulatory timeline has shifted.
  • Track grocery price movements in your region over the next quarter to verify whether chains pass savings to consumers as promised.
  • Monitor state-level deregulatory actions following this federal move — other industries facing similar 'technology transition' mandates may see rollbacks.

Key moments

0:09Trump announces refrigeration rule termination

Today is my honor to be discussing the taking of a very historic action to substantially lower costs for consumers, protect hundreds of thousands of jobs, and save Americans well over $2 billion a year.

9:04Piggly Wiggly owner warns of independent store closures

Those equipment per store, you could look for 800,000 to a million and a half dollars per store to do a changeout. That would have done out of business, all these independents.

26:19Trump on deregulation scorecard

For every one new regulation that we add, we're getting rid of 20 to 30 to 50. My first term, for every regulation that was added, we got rid of a minimum of 10.

28:41Trump defends birthright citizenship position

This was not meant for Chinese billionaires to have their children become citizens of our country. This was meant for the babies of slaves.

41:16Trump on DC crime reduction

We moved over 5,000 career criminals that came in through the open borders. And the interesting statistic is that 2% of the population creates 91% of the crime.

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