Trump moves to undo showerhead, bulb rules

U.S. President Donald Trump. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to reverse environmental standards for many household appliances Since his return to the White House, using a familiar refrain: it was better before.

“I am hereby instructing Secretary Lee Zeldin to immediately go back to my Environmental Orders, which were terminated by Crooked Joe Biden, on Water Standards and Flow pertaining to SINKS, SHOWERS, TOILETS, WASHING MACHINES, DISHWASHERS, etc.,” Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday (February 11, 2025).

The 78-year-old has for years complained about modern showerheads, saying they slow the flow of water. “You turn on the shower, if you’re like me, you can’t wash your beautiful hair properly.”

During his first term, Mr. Trump reversed federal regulations limiting water flow on a number of appliances, only to see them reinstated by Democrat Joe Biden.

And during his election campaign, Mr. Trump also accused Democrats of wanting to ban gas stoves and gasoline or diesel-powered automobiles, framing it as a freedom issue for Americans.

The former reality TV star also frequently rails against LED light bulbs, which have been gradually replaced by incandescent bulbs over the past decade. “I’m not a vain person… but I look better under an incandescent light than these crazy lights that are beaming down on us,” Mr. Trump said in 2019. “I always look orange.”

Andrew deLaski, head of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, ASAP called Mr. Trump’s concerns outdated. “Today, there’s a huge array of modern, efficient products that are top performers,” he said.

But the crusade of the Republican leader, a notorious climate sceptic, seems to have less to do with environmental or economic considerations and more with yearning for times past.