This new, more formidable foe has a long history as a Washington insider and is well versed in doing things by the book. After more than 20 years in Washington, including time at the EPA under President George H.W. Bush and as a coal company lobbyist, Wheeler has a reputation for denying humans as the cause of climate change and as an ally of the fossil fuel industry — which even earned him the Onion headline: “EPA Promotes Pulsating Black Sludge to Deputy Director.” Wheeler appeared to take it all in stride, however, which will likely just infuriate the Left even more.

Like Pruitt, Wheeler will continue to pursue Trump’s deregulatory agenda and will be no friend to environmentalists. Indeed, he has built his experience challenging federal environmental regulations and was the former chief of staff to Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, a prominent Republican skeptic of mainstream scientific worries about man-made climate change.