‘What’s next? Lead pipes?’: Horror as Trump-controlled E.P.A. begins plans to repeal Biden asbestos ban

Mesothelioma is one of the worst ways to die. It’s a slow and excruciating form of cancer that makes breathing a constant struggle, with the poor souls suffering from it comparing it to slowly drowning in your own body.

The condition is generally caused by asbestos exposure, with tiny needle-shaped asbestos particles lodging in the lungs. Exposure to asbestos, generally from airborne particles, can take place years or decades before mesothelioma appears, meaning thousands of people are walking around with their grisly fate already sealed.

All that’s why the United States finally (and only partially) banned asbestos in 2024 under the Toxic Substance Control Act. This was a hard-won battle, though most other countries banned its use in back in the 1980s and 1990s. The United States has long gone against the grain on asbestos, with potential laws against it stymied by corporate lobbying and economic interests.

But, with it being linked to around 40,000 American deaths each year, and the scientific evidence on how deadly it is irrefutable, the partial ban finally arrived under Biden. It was a small step, but at least a small step in the right direction.

Trump loves asbestos

Enter asbestos’s greatest cheerleader, Donald Trump. Throughout his first presidency he squashed any plans to ban the killer substance, has previously described it as “the greatest fire-proofing material ever made”, alleged the Mafia are behind the movement to criminalize it, and in 2012 even blamed the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11 on its “incredibly powerful fire retardant asbestos” being removed.

E.P.A. Plans to Reconsider a Ban on Cancer-Causing Asbestos ¯_(ツ)_/¯ www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/u…

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— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 1:55 AM

Now he’s ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to begin looking at repealing even the minimal protections provided by the Biden-era ban. Make no mistake, if this happens, it’ll condemn thousands more Americans to a fate worse than death. Many see this as simply the consequence of the “If Biden did it = bad” MAGA philosophy, with one comment saying, “What’s next? Lead pipes? Adding paint chips to school lunches?”

You can be as MAGA as you like and cheer on Trump bringing back asbestos, but remember that the substance doesn’t care. These new rules may see a microscopic sliver of asbestos lodge in your lungs just waiting to blossom into mesothelioma. So if one day you’re gasping for air in a hospital bed, all quality of life and dignity gone, remember it was Donald Trump who took everything from you.