Sec. Hegseth’s Security Excuse Could Doom Endangered Whales

Citing so-called “national security” concerns tied to rising fuel prices and the Iran war, the Trump administration is stripping protections from Rice’s whales—putting one of the rarest whales on Earth on a fast track to extinction. If this goes unchallenged, it will further solidify the dangerous precedent of sacrificing endangered species to extinction whenever it’s seen as politically convenient.

Rice’s whales live only in the Gulf of Mexico, and there are fewer than 50 left. Lose them, and they are gone forever.

But instead of protecting this critically endangered species, the Trump administration is weakening safeguards to expand offshore drilling—while claiming it’s necessary for “national security.”

At the urging of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, officials argued that rising fuel prices tied to escalating conflict abroad made it essential to prioritize fossil fuel extraction—even if it meant putting an entire species at risk.

That claim simply doesn’t add up. There is no evidence that Endangered Species Act protections have slowed oil production in the Gulf. In fact, the federal government has already reported record-breaking offshore output, with 2025 marking one of the strongest production years ever, and more growth is expected this year.

This isn’t about energy security. It’s about giving Big Oil even more leeway while the administration invokes rising fuel prices amid escalating conflict to justify rolling back protections.

Meanwhile, Rice’s whales are already struggling to survive. Ship strikes, seismic blasting, oil spills, and constant industrial noise threaten their existence every day. Removing protections now could be the final blow.

Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.

And Rice’s whales aren’t the only species put at risk to satisfy Secretary Hegseth and the Trump administration. The Gulf is home to endangered sperm whales, multiple sea turtle species, and pillar coral—along with threatened wildlife like manta rays and Nassau grouper. Expanding drilling and slashing protections doesn’t just endanger one species—it puts an entire fragile ecosystem in jeopardy.

We cannot allow extinction to become collateral damage for reckless policies and political excuses.

Sign the petition to demand:

1: Immediate restoration of Endangered Species Act protections

2: Strong safeguards on Gulf oil and gas activity

3: Science—not politics—guide endangered species decisions

Rice’s whales don’t have time to wait. Please sign the petition to tell Pete Hegseth and the entire Trump administration: extinction is not an option.

The petition to the Trump administration reads: Stop sacrificing critically endangered Rice’s whales—one of the rarest species on Earth—for oil drilling and misguided “national security” claims. There is no evidence that protecting these whales has limited Gulf oil production, which is already at record highs, so there is no justification for pushing them toward extinction. Restore Endangered Species Act protections immediately and put science and conservation ahead of politics and fossil fuel profits.
_______

Source:

www.ms.now/opinion/hegseth-endangered-species-gulf-whale

Rice’s Whale Photo: NOAA/ Terra Mar Applied Sciences/Kate Sutherland