Zeldin vs. the Media: When Facts Threaten Narratives
For weeks, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has been doing what most of the legacy press refuses to: follow the money. Specifically, the $20 billion in “green grants” the Biden EPA tried to shovel out the door in its final days: funds that Zeldin has rightly flagged as riddled with conflicts of interest, questionable recipients, and deliberate attempts to reduce oversight.
But instead of amplifying these concerns, much of the press corps has doubled down on denial. And on Monday, as The Washington Examiner’s Callie Patteson reported, Zeldin had enough.
“Every time a new piece of evidence comes out, there’s some in the media saying, even with more conviction, that there’s no evidence,” Zeldin said. “How is that zero evidence?”
Zeldin’s frustration is well-earned when you have:
- A Biden political appointee on video admitting they were tossing out billions like “gold bars off the Titanic,”
- NGOs with $100 operating budgets receiving $2 billion grants, and
- Recipients staffed with Obama and Biden-era political hacks with clear conflicts of interest
All publicly available and previously reported before even getting to the use of funds.
The fact that certain reporters can’t (or won’t) connect those dots demonstrates a media credibility crisis that too often takes notes from the eco-left over unbiased reporting.
Many mainstream media outlets continue to dismiss credible concerns with a shrug. Zeldin, by contrast, is asking the right questions, demanding transparency, and treating the American people like adults. Whether or not the courts eventually side with the EPA, he’s laid out a case that deserves serious attention. The fact that the press won’t cover it doesn’t mean it’s not real.
Kudos to Zeldin for not backing down and to reporters like Callie Patteson who are still willing to tell the truth.
April 24, 2025