President Trump, describing himself as outdoorsmen’s best friend in the White House since Teddy Roosevelt, signed executive orders loosening hunting restrictions at a Rose Gaden event on Thursday. At a dinner with more than 100 guests from outdoor groups and related industries, Trump also announced plans to open more public land and water to hunters and anglers, the Hill reports. One directive tells Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to further increase federal lands available for hunting and fishing, building on an earlier move that opened over 92 million acres.
Another order reverses Biden-era limits on traditional lead ammunition and tackle. “Lead ammunition was a problem, huh? Is it better than other ammunition? I assume, huh? That’s pretty good,” Trump said. “I don’t know what the hell that means, but I know one thing: you wanted it. You wanted it, and I’m here for you.” A separate order updates fishery rules, lengthening seasons and raising quotas.
Trump also teased a sequel to his 2020 Great American Outdoors Act, promising a “2.0” package soon. One of the guests was Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. Trump told the billionaire that he is “going to sell a lot of rods,” but he joked that he could have banned fishing instead, the Independent reports. “The power of this office is crazy,” he said. “I could have banned fishing and driven Johnny right the hell out of business. Okay. I think I’m going to do that. Just maybe just a quick order, just for a day or two, till he calls me and he says, ‘Please, President, please, you’re putting me out of business, sir.'”