US President Donald Trump has jokingly explained his administration’s roll-back of regulations concerning energy-efficient light bulbs as being due to a personal vendetta. Ranting about bulbs and other climate-related issues, like clean water, at the Republican annual retreat in Baltimore, he argued that energy-efficient bulbs are "many times more expensive than that old, incandescent bulb that worked very well" and "the light’s no good".
However, he revealed that this was not the only reason why he did not like the energy-saving light bulbs or the rules, which were crafted during the last days of the Obama presidency for environmental reasons and set to enter into force in January.
"People said what's with the light bulb? I said here’s the story, and I looked at it. The bulb that we're being forced to use, number one, to me, most importantly: the light's no good, I always look orange. And so do you. The light is the worst", he said to laughter in the audience.
The sudden confession on the matter of his hue, which netizens have joked about since Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, prompted a storm online.
Many rushed to reassure the president that the LED bulbs are not to blame for making him look orange.
Earlier in September, the Trump administration stalled a transition in the US to electricity-efficient bulbs and other lighting means that are said to use less energy, as federal regulators overturned the Obama-era rules, which were due to take effect from the beginning of next year. While critics have insisted that the decision disrupts the efforts to battle climate change, the administration argued that the changes would push prices up.