Trump Calls on “God Squad” to Bypass Endangered Species Laws for Offshore Drilling

The Trump administration is invoking a rarely used "Endangered Species Committee"—nicknamed the "God Squad"—to potentially exempt all federal oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico from endangered-species protections, citing national security grounds. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has argued the exemption is necessary, though the nation produces 1.9 million barrels of oil daily even with current protections in place. The committee, which has granted exemptions only twice in nearly 50 years, will meet March 31 to decide whether allowing drilling outweighs risks to species including sea turtles and a whale population down to 51 individuals. The Trump administration bypassed standard procedural requirements, including biological impact analyses and evidentiary hearings normally required before the committee convenes. Legal experts say the sweeping national security claim is unprecedented and contradicts the committee's original intent as an "extreme measure of last resort."