I Cold-Called President Trump. Here’s What He Told Me About an Oil Tycoon and Major Donor.

ProPublica reporter Alex Cuadros describes cold-calling President Trump to discuss billionaire oil tycoon Jeff Hildebrand, a major Trump donor whose stripper wells emit roughly half the oil sector's methane pollution despite producing only 6% of national oil and gas. Trump claimed limited familiarity with Hildebrand but immediately expressed commitment to reversing Biden-era methane regulations when prompted, revealing how the administration's policy direction prioritizes ideological deregulation over specific industry knowledge. Cuadros's months-long investigation documents Hildebrand's environmental violations, his former lobbyist now holding an EPA position rewriting methane rules, and the January White House meeting where Hildebrand pledged support for Venezuelan oil investments—illustrating a pattern where financial loyalty to Trump translates into regulatory and diplomatic advantages. The reporting is well-sourced with named officials, direct quotes, specific data (stripper wells at 6% production/50% methane emissions), and corroborated by ProPublica's parallel investigation, though Trump's brief comments lack depth and Hildebrand declined to be interviewed; independent search results confirm ProPublica's broader findings about the methane rollback and Hildebrand's donor status.