Trump administration officials will soon consider exempting oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act. The exemption was requested by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who cited unspecified national security concerns. Critics say such a move could doom Gulf populations of endangered Rice’s whales. The exemption request comes amid global oil shocks and soaring energy prices brought on by the U.S.-Iran war. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the top oil-producing regions in the U.S. Republican President Donald Trump has made increased fossil fuel production a central focus of his second term.