Trump weakens Endangered Species Act protections

On July 10, 2026, the Trump administration, through the Interior and Commerce Departments, finalized a rule that narrows the definition of 'harm' under the Endangered Species Act. Previously, harm included significant habitat modification that impairs breeding, feeding, or sheltering. The new rule restricts harm to direct killing or injuring of an individual animal, effectively allowing habitat destruction without legal consequence. This opens habitats to drilling, mining, farming, and development. Environmental groups like Earthjustice plan legal challenges, but the conservative Supreme Court may uphold the change. The rule faced overwhelming public opposition (99% of 220,000 comments against) and criticism from state wildlife agencies and legal scholars.