--- ---  # Who Is Lee Zeldin? Possibly Trump’s Next Attorney General  by [Miranda Jeyaretnam](https://time.com/author/miranda-jeyaretnam/)  ## Miranda Jeyaretnam Reporter Apr 2, 2026 9:00 AM UTC  President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin make an announcement at the White House on Feb. 12, 2026. President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin make an announcement at the White House on Feb. 12, 2026.Will Oliver—EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Images  by [Miranda Jeyaretnam](https://time.com/author/miranda-jeyaretnam/)  ## Miranda Jeyaretnam Reporter Apr 2, 2026 9:00 AM UTC Lee Zeldin, currently the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, [is understood](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/us/politics/trump-pam-bondi-future.html) to be the leading candidate for Attorney General after President Donald Trump fired Pam Bondi. Trump dismissed Bondi on Thursday after she faced significant backlash over her department’s [handling of the Epstein files](https://time.com/7355932/epstein-files-release-doj-independent-monitor-house-investigation/), documents related to the investigation into convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Bondi is scheduled to face[ a deposition](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/17/epstein-pam-bondi-trump-doj-subpoena.html) before the congressional House Oversight Committee later this month [related to the Epstein investigation](https://time.com/7377755/bondi-epstein-victims-files-house-hearing/) and [transparency of the files](https://time.com/7342581/jeffrey-epstein-doj-justice-department-files-documents-redactions/). “Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, praising her record on reducing murders and other crimes. “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.” Trump has also reportedly expressed private dissatisfaction that Bondi did not pursue investigations into his critics aggressively enough. At [Trump’s behest](https://time.com/7319161/trump-pam-bondi-letitia-james/), the DOJ under Bondi has pursued criminal investigations into several of Trump’s perceived political adversaries, most of whom are Democrats. These include probes into [New York Attorney General Letitia James](https://time.com/7324902/new-york-attorney-general-letitia-james-charged-with-fraud-by-trump-ally/), [California Sen. Adam Schiff](https://time.com/7321683/trump-political-opponents-doj-prosecution/), [Fed Governor Lisa Cook](https://time.com/7312213/lisa-cook-trump-fire-federal-reserve-governor-mortgage-fraud-powell-interest-rates/), and [Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell](https://time.com/7345448/jerome-powell-trump-federal-reserve-doj-investigation-renovations/). The DOJ has so far failed to secure indictments in any of the cases, although some are ongoing. Bondi was confirmed as Attorney General with a 54-46 vote last February, after Trump’s initial pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R, Fla.), withdrew from consideration amid scrutiny of [allegations of sexual misconduct](https://time.com/7177301/matt-gaetz-allegations-justice-house-ethics/). Bondi [told lawmakers](https://time.com/7207203/pam-bondi-attorney-general-hearing-trump/) at her confirmation hearing that she would not target people based on their politics, citing [criminal cases against Trump](https://time.com/7311545/donald-trump-legal-cases-status-civil-lawsuit-fraud-criminal-prosecution/). Last month, Trump [replaced Kristi Noem](https://time.com/7382719/kristi-noem-removed-homeland-security-secretary-markwayne-mullin/) with [Markwayne Mullin](https://time.com/7382769/markwayne-mullin-homeland-security-secretary-kristi-noem/) as Homeland Secretary, making Noem the first Cabinet member to be removed during Trump’s second term. The President has publicly expressed confidence in Bondi on multiple occasions, and he said in a [statement to the media](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/us/politics/bondi-epstein-files-doj-trump.html) on Wednesday in response to reports of her possible ouster that “Attorney General Pam Bondi is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job.” Trump has not finalized his decision to pick Zeldin as her replacement, the New York _Times_ and CNN reported. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, sources told [ABC](https://abcnews.com/US/trump-discussed-removing-pam-bondi-attorney-general-sources/story?id=131621327). But Zeldin’s name is understood to have come up the most often in discussions of candidates for the role. TIME has reached out to the White House for comment. Here’s what to know about Zeldin. ## Trump loyalist Zeldin has served as the administrator of the EPA since last January. In this role, the 46-year-old has [overseen](https://time.com/7258269/trump-climate-policies-executive-orders/) what he’s [described](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-repeal-landmark-climate-finding-huge-regulatory-rollback-wsj-reports-2026-02-10/) as “the largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States.” In the name of boosting energy production, Zeldin has [rolled back environmental regulations](https://time.com/7268376/trump-epa-deregulation-what-legal-experts-say/), including [protections for wetlands and endangered species](https://time.com/article/2026/03/31/endangered-species-protections-commitee-gulf-of-mexico-oil-gas-drilling/), and [pushed to weaken or repeal](https://time.com/7380172/trump-mercury-coal-plant-pollution/) rules on emissions and pollution. In February, Zeldin [announced](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/president-trump-and-administrator-zeldin-deliver-single-largest-deregulatory-action-us) a repeal of the [endangerment finding](https://time.com/7377810/trump-epa-endangerment-finding-repeal-history/), the legal basis by which the government regulates greenhouse gas emissions. The agency has also cut jobs, dramatically slashed its budget, and [dismantled its scientific research arm](https://www.science.org/content/article/blow-environment-epa-begins-dismantle-its-research-office). **Read More:** [_The End of Climate Regulation As We Know It_](https://time.com/7378527/trump-epa-endangerment-finding-new-climate-era/) Zeldin has [been criticized](https://time.com/7337852/epa-rollbacks-regulation-zeldin-cancer/) by environmental and public health advocates, including [leaders of the Make America Healthy Again movement](https://time.com/7321128/republican-maha-movement-plan-democrats/), for undermining the EPA’s mission, and he [faced scrutiny](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/22/trump-epa-zeldin-qatar-menendez-corruption-00200080) during his confirmation over his consulting work for a Qatari-led firm linked to the felony corruption case against former Sen. Bob Menendez (D, N.J.). TIME has reached out to the EPA for comment. From New York, Zeldin has a background in law, becoming in 2004 the youngest attorney at the time in the state at age 23\. He ran a crisis management and public relations firm from 2023 to early 2025. Also an army veteran, Zeldin served 22 years in the military, including military intelligence and a deployment to Iraq in 2006\. He also held a state senate seat in New York from 2011 to 2014 and a U.S. congressional seat representing the state’s 1st District from 2015 to 2023\. He unsuccessfully ran for New York governor in 2022, [losing to Democrat Kathy Hochul](https://www.axios.com/2022/07/16/lee-zeldin-new-york-governor-signatures-invalid). Zeldin has built a reputation as a staunch ally of Trump, [defending](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/trump-s-defender-how-little-known-gop-lawmaker-became-point-n1076046) the President during his [first](https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/the-public-stage-of-the-house-impeachment-inquiry) and [second](https://riverheadlocal.com/2021/01/13/zeldin-in-impeachment-debate-decries-partisan-double-standards-thanks-trump/) impeachments. He also [voted against](https://nynow.wmht.org/blogs/politics/why-rep-zeldin-now-running-for-governor-says-he-voted-against-the-2020-election-results/) certifying the results of the 2020 election, which former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won. Who Is Lee Zeldin? 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