In a move that blends regulatory rollback with a splash of satire, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday redefining the federal standards for showerheads—a cause he has championed for years. The directive, as described by the Trump White House, aims to "end the Obama-Biden war on water pressure" and restore what it called “shower freedom” to the American people.
“By restoring shower freedom, President Trump is following through on his commitment to dismantle unnecessary regulations and put Americans first,” the White House said in a statement announcing the new rule. The changes would also apply to other household fixtures like sinks and toilets.
Trump has often expressed frustration with modern water-conservation appliances. “In my case, I like to take a nice shower to take care of my beautiful hair,” he said while signing the order. “I have to stand under the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. It comes out drip, drip, drip. It’s ridiculous.”
His fixation on water pressure isn't new. In remarks dating back to 2019, Trump claimed, “people are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once,” citing the allegedly poor performance of low-flow models. “When you go into these new homes with showers, the water drips down slowly, slowly,” he reiterated in 2023.
Not everyone in the appliance world shares Trump’s concerns. “It was very striking that the White House memo included toilets and shower heads as a presidential priority. It really was something,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. “But I think Donald Trump’s concerns are somewhat out of date, to tell you the truth.”
During his first term, Trump pushed back on several energy efficiency rules, including tighter standards on light bulbs. At the time, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra called the move “another dim-witted move that will waste energy at the expense of our people and planet.”
The Trump administration had previously created exemptions for dishwashers and showerheads that allowed for greater water usage—a policy later reversed under President Joe Biden. But the saga didn’t end there.
“Biden undid this progress and the shower wars continued,” the Trump White House said on Wednesday, adding that the new executive order would “make America’s showers great again.”
“By restoring shower freedom, President Trump is following through on his commitment to dismantle unnecessary regulations and put Americans first,” the White House said in a statement announcing the new rule. The changes would also apply to other household fixtures like sinks and toilets.
Trump has often expressed frustration with modern water-conservation appliances. “In my case, I like to take a nice shower to take care of my beautiful hair,” he said while signing the order. “I have to stand under the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. It comes out drip, drip, drip. It’s ridiculous.”
His fixation on water pressure isn't new. In remarks dating back to 2019, Trump claimed, “people are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once,” citing the allegedly poor performance of low-flow models. “When you go into these new homes with showers, the water drips down slowly, slowly,” he reiterated in 2023.
Not everyone in the appliance world shares Trump’s concerns. “It was very striking that the White House memo included toilets and shower heads as a presidential priority. It really was something,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. “But I think Donald Trump’s concerns are somewhat out of date, to tell you the truth.”
During his first term, Trump pushed back on several energy efficiency rules, including tighter standards on light bulbs. At the time, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra called the move “another dim-witted move that will waste energy at the expense of our people and planet.”
The Trump administration had previously created exemptions for dishwashers and showerheads that allowed for greater water usage—a policy later reversed under President Joe Biden. But the saga didn’t end there.
“Biden undid this progress and the shower wars continued,” the Trump White House said on Wednesday, adding that the new executive order would “make America’s showers great again.”
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