ClimatePolitics

Trump is gutting the Endangered Species Act. These 10 species show what’s at stake.

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 08/10/2026, 08:45:23 UTC.

Briefings

The Trump administration is weakening the Endangered Species Act by reinterpreting 'take' and 'harms' definitions, removing penalties for habitat destruction. This shift, confirmed by a 2026 memo, allows industry to bypass protections for 10 species, including North Atlantic right whales and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. Key facts include 43 right whale deaths since 2017 and habitat fragmentation for rattlesnakes due to wetland loss. The Supreme Court previously upheld the Act's comprehensiveness, but recent changes threaten nearly 300 U.S. species.

Key points

• The Trump administration reinterpreted the Endangered Species Act to remove federal penalties for habitat destruction and limit 'take' to intentional killing, a change confirmed in a 2026 internal memo.

Context and limitations

Coverage is limited to 10 specific species mentioned in the source, with data on right whale mortality and rattlesnake habitat fragmentation sourced from specific reports and interviews.

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