Apr 8, 2026
On Tuesday, March 31, a committee of Trump Cabinet members, colloquially called the “God Squad,” convened behind closed doors and for a mere 15 minutes to allow unbridled oil and gas exploration across the entirety of the Gulf of Mexico and ultimately sanction the extinction of critically endangered species. The unanimous vote exempted Big Oil from accountability under the Endangered Species Act and allows for fast-tracking of operations and development across the Gulf under the false threat to national security.
As advocates protested on the steps of the Department of Interior, the God Squad–which has only convened three times in history and never in the past 30 years–voted in record time to grant this exemption, which has never been invoked in the history of the Endangered Species Act. This unprecedented move puts Rice’s whale, sea turtles, smalltooth sawfish, manatees, and other Gulf marine life at even greater risk. Gulf coastal communities that rely on eco-tourism and fishing are inextricably tied to the health of the ocean.
America the Beautiful for All (AtB4A) Coalition Executive Director Shantha Ready Alonso: “The America the Beautiful for All Coalition strongly opposes this action by Trump’s Cabinet at the best of Big Oil. Selling out the last 51 Rice’s whales last chance at survival will not bring down the gas prices.”
Suraida Nañnez-James, AtB4A Oceans Workgroup Co-lead and CEO and Founder for the Gulf Reach Institute: “We cannot accept a future where profit is placed above life. The Gulf of Mexico is not a resource, it is a relative. Exempting Big Oil from the Endangered Species Act threatens the sacred balance of our waters, through the loss of precious species that have sustained cultures, stories, and ecosystems for generations. Protecting them is not optional, it is a responsibility we carry for those who came before us and those yet to come.”
Jasmin Graham, AtB4A Priority Projects and Campaigns Workgroup Co-lead and President and CEO of Minorities in Shark Sciences: “This action will impact several species of sharks and rays that call the Gulf of Mexico home. This includes the smalltooth sawfish of which the United States has one of only two “lifeboat” populations in the world where smalltooth sawfish are regularly documented. This is a devastating loss for shark and ray conservation.”
Jewel Tomasula, AtB4A Wildlife Workgroup Co-lead and National Policy Director for the Endangered Species Coalition: “Gulf Rice’s whales are beautiful, and their recovery is also essential for restoring a healthy ocean ecosystem. The oil industry rakes in billions and executives pay themselves tens of millions annually, yet instead of rebudgeting a fraction of those resources for environmentally-conscious operations, they went to their buddies in the Trump administration for an all-you-can-pollute pass.”
The America the Beautiful for All Coalition stands with defenders of the communities and fragile ecosystems and wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico.
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The America The Beautiful For All Coalition is the largest and most representative national coalition working to stem nature loss for communities with the most at stake through community-led solutions for the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and access to nature.
