WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump on Monday held himself out as a leader in the fight to protect America's air and water, despite two years of policies that have weakened environmental regulations.
In a speech at the White House, Trump said his administration was working "harder than many previous administrations, maybe almost all of them" to protect the environment. During his campaign, and since taking office, however, Trump has allied himself with coal, oil and gas industry groups, nominated a former energy lobbyist to run the Environmental Protection Agency and vowed to pull out of the Paris climate accord. He's also pushed for the repeal of regulations that would have cracked down on coal-burning power plants.
This last move led the American Lung Association to announce Monday that it plans to sue the administration for violating the Clean Air Act _ highlighting the contrast between the president's desire to be seen as an environmental leader and widespread criticism of his policies by public health advocates and environmentalists.
