AOC Grills Trump Cabinet Member on Major ‘Conflict of Interest’ In Heated Hearing Exchange

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) grilled Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin on a major “conflict of interest” in a heated hearing exchange Tuesday morning.

During the hearing, as Zeldin testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for a discussion of the EPA’s 2027 fiscal budget, Ocasio-Cortez began reading from internal EPA emails acquired via a Freedom of Information Act request.

The email contents pertain to the matter of glyphosate, the controversial active ingredient in the pesticide Roundup sold by Bayer, which thousands of people blame for causing their cancers. The U.S. Supreme Court heard a dispute over its labels on Monday and will rule whether states can play a role in the contents of warning labels after the EPA makes its determinations.

“We have documentation here, emails from your Senior Advisor for Agricultural and Rural Affairs saying that you were meeting with the Bayer CEO last year,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “He said in these emails that they will be bringing up some legal/judicial issues. More specifically, in this internal email, in your EPA, it says that Bayer was specifically seeking and discussing Supreme Court action, it will want an update on EPA’s regulatory review, and that, interestingly, Bayer will provide a small thanks for updating the glyphosate webpage from the EPA and work on MAHA. Do you have any idea what they might have been referring to in this email?”

While the “Make America Health Again” Commission has generally opposed pesticides, President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February calling for a sufficient supply of glyphosate in the U.S. as it is “central to American economic and national security.”

Zeldin attempted to offer up a reply.

“First off, as I mentioned a few minutes ago, it’s possible the team was doing brainstorming of potential topics,” he said. “As somebody who actually attended the meeting—”

Ocasio-Cortez quickly cut him off.

“OK, thank you, I’m sorry, I just have 40 seconds, I’m not trying to be rude,” she said. “This glyphosate that they’re referring to seems to be correlated to the EPA agency withdrawing its support for California’s cancer warning on glyphosate. Now this is important because five days after the EPO this year, Bayer filed their opening brief to the Supreme Court, citing Trump’s executive order and hinging their case on the EPA’s warnings or lack thereof of glyphosate. So, we have internal emails from your agency saying that Bayer wanted to thank you and your agency for removing support for California’s warning because their case before the Supreme Court right now hinges on you not warning the American people and withdrawing your support on glyphosate. Do you understand the conflict of interest that is before the American people right now?”

Zeldin began to respond.

“Right now, EPA is completing an assessment due in 2026,” he said. “I understand this is a very important topic for many people in this country. This review that the EPA is being conducted, my guidance, to dedicated career staffers, we have people who have been there 20, 30 years—”

Ocasio-Cortez spoke over him despite his pleas to let him answer.

“It’s taking a while, Secretary Zeldin, because the Supreme Court is going to be making decisions this week and Congress is voting this week on legal immunity,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“You made your point,” he responded. “Now I’m asking, do you mind if I answ — this is an important part of this—”

“And I think the timing of this is also very important, Secretary Zeldin,” Ocasio-Cortez quickly cut him off again as her time was declared up.

Watch the clip above.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!