President Donald Trump handed America’s ranchers a major win Friday, declaring in the Oval Office that they are now free to shoot gray wolves preying on their livestock.
Trump signed an executive order with a provision encouraging states to delist gray wolves as a protected species, opening the door for ranchers to defend their herds. Gray wolves have carried federal endangered species protections in parts of the United States for more than 50 years.
Surrounded by ranchers at the Resolute Desk, Trump wasted no time addressing the issue head-on.
“Anybody have a problem with the Mexican gray wolf?” Trump asked the group.
One rancher explained that wolves released in Arizona and New Mexico during the Clinton administration have become a significant problem for the region’s livestock producers.
“Not a great idea, right?” Trump responded. “Although they are beautiful looking. But you don’t think they are beautiful, do you? And what do they do, rip the herd apart?”
The rancher didn’t hold back on describing the toll wolves have taken.
“They will kill your livestock, they will kill your dogs, your horses,” he said.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins explained the legal roadblock ranchers have faced for years.
“But sir, the problem is, because they are on the endangered species list, they can’t shoot them,” Rollins said. “They have to sit and watch them destroy the herd.”
Trump’s response was immediate and decisive.
“You can shoot them as of today,” Trump declared.
Rollins clarified that some regulatory groundwork remains, noting Interior Secretary Doug Burgum would need to finalize the details, though she confirmed the broader intent.
Trump then turned to a rancher from Washington state, asking how he felt about the new policy. The rancher reluctantly agreed it was a positive step, but expressed frustration with his home state’s resistance on the issue.
“We’ve seen it take hundreds of family ranches, and it’s just gone,” the rancher said, describing the toll wolf predation has taken on the industry.
“The state of Washington has fought us tooth and nail,” he continued. “Won’t allow your team to come in, won’t allow us to do anything.”
Trump was unequivocal in response, telling the rancher directly that he now had the authority to protect his herd, regardless of past state resistance. The rancher, still visibly skeptical given his experience with Washington regulators, laughed and accepted the president’s assurance.
For ranchers who have watched wolves devastate their herds for decades while federal protections tied their hands, Friday’s announcement represents a long-awaited shift in Washington’s approach to wildlife management.
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