CIRCLES, WATER REGULATION. NBC POLITICAL REPORTER ALLEN

NBC POLITICAL REPORTER ALLEN SMITH

SMITH SMITH EXPLAINS.

SMITH EXPLAINS. >> Reporter: IN DECEMBER

>> Reporter: IN DECEMBER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RAISED

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP RAISED EYEBROWS WHEN HE TOLD REPORTERS

EYEBROWS WHEN HE TOLD REPORTERS HE HAD ORDERED HIS EPA TO

HE HAD ORDERED HIS EPA TO STRONGLY LOOK INTO SINKS,

STRONGLY LOOK INTO SINKS, SHOWERS, QUOTE, OTHER ELEMENTS.

SHOWERS, QUOTE, OTHER ELEMENTS. >> THE BATHROOM.

>> THE BATHROOM. YOU TURN THE FAUCET ON AND AREAS

YOU TURN THE FAUCET ON AND AREAS WHERE THERE'S TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS

WHERE THERE'S TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF WATER, WHERE THE WATER RUSHES

OF WATER, WHERE THE WATER RUSHES OUT TO SEA BECAUSE YOU COULD

OUT TO SEA BECAUSE YOU COULD NEVER HANDLE IT AND YOU DON'T

NEVER HANDLE IT AND YOU DON'T GET ANY WATER.

GET ANY WATER. THEY TAKE A SHOWER, WATER COMES

THEY TAKE A SHOWER, WATER COMES DRIPPING OUT.

DRIPPING OUT. IT'S DRIPPING OUT VERY QUIETLY

IT'S DRIPPING OUT VERY QUIETLY DRIPPING OUT.

DRIPPING OUT. SO EPA IS LOOKING AT THAT VERY

SO EPA IS LOOKING AT THAT VERY STRONGLY.

STRONGLY. AT MY SUGGESTION.

AT MY SUGGESTION. >> Reporter: NOW, THESE

>> Reporter: NOW, THESE COMMENTS, THEY DREW A LOT OF

COMMENTS, THEY DREW A LOT OF ATTENTION ONLINE.

ATTENTION ONLINE. SOME FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SIMPLY

SOME FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SIMPLY ENTERTAINED THAT THE PRESIDENT

ENTERTAINED THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THIS AND

WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THIS AND OTHERS WHO WERE SOMEWHAT

OTHERS WHO WERE SOMEWHAT SURPRISED AT WHAT HAD BROUGHT

SURPRISED AT WHAT HAD BROUGHT THIS TO THE PRESIDENT'S

THIS TO THE PRESIDENT'S ATTENTION.

ATTENTION. WHY HE WAS FOCUSING ON IT,

WHY HE WAS FOCUSING ON IT, PARTICULARLY AS THIS

PARTICULARLY AS THIS HIGH-PROFILE IMPEACHMENT

HIGH-PROFILE IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION WAS ONGOING.

INVESTIGATION WAS ONGOING. >> YOU OPEN IT UP --

>> YOU OPEN IT UP -- >> Reporter: NOW AT A RALLY JUST

>> Reporter: NOW AT A RALLY JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER,

A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, ACTUALLY THE EXACT RALLY THAT

ACTUALLY THE EXACT RALLY THAT TOOK PLACE MOMENTS AFTER THE

TOOK PLACE MOMENTS AFTER THE HOUSE FORMALLY VOTED TO IMPEACH

HOUSE FORMALLY VOTED TO IMPEACH HIM, THE PRESIDENT WENT ON A

HIM, THE PRESIDENT WENT ON A MUCH MORE EXTENDED RANT ABOUT

MUCH MORE EXTENDED RANT ABOUT THIS TOPIC.

THIS TOPIC. >> YOU REMEMBER THE DISHWASHER,

>> YOU REMEMBER THE DISHWASHER, YOU PRESS IT, BOOM, THERE'D BE

YOU PRESS IT, BOOM, THERE'D BE LIKE AN EXPLOSION.

LIKE AN EXPLOSION. FIVE MINUTES LATER, YOU OPEN IT

FIVE MINUTES LATER, YOU OPEN IT UP, THE STEAM POURS OUT.

UP, THE STEAM POURS OUT. NOW YOU PRESS IT 12 TIMES.

NOW YOU PRESS IT 12 TIMES. WOMEN TELL ME, AGAIN, YOU KNOW,

WOMEN TELL ME, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE YOU FOUR DROPS OF

THEY GIVE YOU FOUR DROPS OF WATER.

WATER. >> Reporter: THE REALITY IS

>> Reporter: THE REALITY IS THERE IS AN UNDERPINNING TO THIS

THERE IS AN UNDERPINNING TO THIS ARGUMENT AND IT'S BEEN A

ARGUMENT AND IT'S BEEN A LIBERTARIAN WAR THAT HAS GONE ON

LIBERTARIAN WAR THAT HAS GONE ON FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS NOW.

FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS NOW. WHILE THE PRESIDENT ISN'T QUITE

WHILE THE PRESIDENT ISN'T QUITE SO ELOQUENT IN DISCUSSING THE

SO ELOQUENT IN DISCUSSING THE TOPIC, HE IS TALKING ABOUT WATER

TOPIC, HE IS TALKING ABOUT WATER REGULATIONS THAT WERE SIGNED

REGULATIONS THAT WERE SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENTS GEORGE H.

INTO LAW BY PRESIDENTS GEORGE H. W. BUSH AND PRESIDENT CLINTON IN

W. BUSH AND PRESIDENT CLINTON IN THE EARLY '90s THAT LIMIT HOW

THE EARLY '90s THAT LIMIT HOW MUCH WATER CAN BE USED IN NEW

MUCH WATER CAN BE USED IN NEW TOILETS, COMING OUT OF FAUCET

TOILETS, COMING OUT OF FAUCET HEADS BOTH FOR SHOWERS AND SINKS

HEADS BOTH FOR SHOWERS AND SINKS AND LIBERTARIANS HAVE ARGUED

AND LIBERTARIANS HAVE ARGUED THAT THESE REGULATIONS CAUSE THE

THAT THESE REGULATIONS CAUSE THE PRODUCTS TO BE VIRTUALLY

PRODUCTS TO BE VIRTUALLY UNUSABLE, THAT NO WATER ISLE TO

UNUSABLE, THAT NO WATER ISLE TO COMING OUT AND USERS ARE

COMING OUT AND USERS ARE FRUSTRATED AND HAVE TO USE THE

FRUSTRATED AND HAVE TO USE THE SHOWER OR FLUSH THE TOILET

SHOWER OR FLUSH THE TOILET MULTIPLE TIMES, THEREFORE

MULTIPLE TIMES, THEREFORE ELIMINATING THE INTENDED

ELIMINATING THE INTENDED ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT, THE WATER

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT, THE WATER CONSERVATION BENEFIT, OF THOSE

CONSERVATION BENEFIT, OF THOSE REGULATIONS.

REGULATIONS. NOW, OF COURSE,

NOW, OF COURSE, ENVIRONMENTALISTS DISAGREE WITH

ENVIRONMENTALISTS DISAGREE WITH THAT PREMISE ENTIRELY AND THEY

THAT PREMISE ENTIRELY AND THEY SAY WHAT THE PRESIDENT AND SOME

SAY WHAT THE PRESIDENT AND SOME OF HIS LIBERTARIAN-MINDED

OF HIS LIBERTARIAN-MINDED BACKERS BELIEVE WITH REGARD TO

BACKERS BELIEVE WITH REGARD TO THIS IS JUST UTTER NONSENSE.

THIS IS JUST UTTER NONSENSE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO FLUSH THE

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FLUSH THE TOILET TEN TIMES, EVEN AS SOME

TOILET TEN TIMES, EVEN AS SOME OF THE PRESIDENT'S SUPPORTERS

OF THE PRESIDENT'S SUPPORTERS WILL ADMIT AND DISHWASHERS ARE

WILL ADMIT AND DISHWASHERS ARE WORKING JUST FINE.

WORKING JUST FINE. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LAST

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LAST YEAR HELD AN OPEN PETITION TO

YEAR HELD AN OPEN PETITION TO TAKE COMPLAINTS REGARDING

TAKE COMPLAINTS REGARDING DISHWASHER PERFORMANCE AND THE

DISHWASHER PERFORMANCE AND THE GOAL IS, THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT

GOAL IS, THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT HAS HINTED AT, IS CREATING A NEW

HAS HINTED AT, IS CREATING A NEW CLASS OF DISHWASHERS TO

CLASS OF DISHWASHERS TO CIRCUMVENT SOME OF THE EXISTING

CIRCUMVENT SOME OF THE EXISTING STANDARDS FOR THOSE APPLIANCES.

STANDARDS FOR THOSE APPLIANCES. THEY HAVEN'T SAID WHETHER THAT'S

THEY HAVEN'T SAID WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'RE GOING TO DO,

SOMETHING THEY'RE GOING TO DO, BUT THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY'RE

BUT THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY'RE UNDERTAKING A REVIEW OF THOSE

UNDERTAKING A REVIEW OF THOSE ITEMS AS THE PRESIDENT HAD

ITEMS AS THE PRESIDENT HAD HINTED TO LAST MONTH.

GOAL IS THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT

GOAL IS THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT HAS HINTED AT IS CREATING A NEW

HAS HINTED AT IS CREATING A NEW CLASS OF DISHWASHERS TO

CLASS OF DISHWASHERS TO CIRCUMVENT SOME OF THE EXISTING

CIRCUMVENT SOME OF THE EXISTING STANDARDS FOR THOSE APPLIANCES.

STANDARDS FOR THOSE APPLIANCES. THEY HAVEN'T SAID WHETHER THAT'S

THEY HAVEN'T SAID WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'RE GOING TO DO,

SOMETHING THEY'RE GOING TO DO, BUT THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY'RE

BUT THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY'RE UNDERTAKING A REVIEW OF THOSE

UNDERTAKING A REVIEW OF THOSE ITEMS AS THE PRESIDENT HAD

ITEMS AS THE PRESIDENT HAD HINTED TO LAST MONTH.

HINTED TO LAST MONTH. AND ON ONE LAST NIGHT, ONE OF

AND ON ONE LAST NIGHT, ONE OF THE PRESIDENT'S BIGGER

THE PRESIDENT'S BIGGER SUPPORTERS IN THE SENATE, RAND

SUPPORTERS IN THE SENATE, RAND PAUL, TEN YEARS AGO HE FAMOUSLY

PAUL, TEN YEARS AGO HE FAMOUSLY LAMENTED AT A HEARING, GRILLING

LAMENTED AT A HEARING, GRILLING A TOP OBAMA ENERGY DEPARTMENT

A TOP OBAMA ENERGY DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL THAT THEY HAD NO RIGHT

OFFICIAL THAT THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO TELL HIM WHAT PRODUCTS HE

TO TELL HIM WHAT PRODUCTS HE COULD INSTALL IN HIS BATHROOM

COULD INSTALL IN HIS BATHROOM AND THAT HONESTLY, THE TOILETS

AND THAT HONESTLY, THE TOILETS IN HIS HOME DON'T EVEN WORK.

IN HIS HOME DON'T EVEN WORK. SO THE LINE OF THOUGHT THAT THE

SO THE LINE OF THOUGHT THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS SPEAKING TO AT A

PRESIDENT WAS SPEAKING TO AT A COUPLE OF MOMENTS IN THE LAST

COUPLE OF MOMENTS IN THE LAST MONTH WAS ONE THAT RAND PAUL

MONTH WAS ONE THAT RAND PAUL HIMSELF HAD MENTIONED ALMOST TEN

HIMSELF HAD MENTIONED ALMOST TEN FULL YEARS AGO AT THIS POINT.

FULL YEARS AGO AT THIS POINT. SENATOR PAUL'S OFFICE DECLINED

SENATOR PAUL'S OFFICE DECLINED TO MAKE HIM AVAILABLE TO SPEAK

TO MAKE HIM AVAILABLE TO SPEAK WITH ME FOR A STORY ON THIS

WITH ME FOR A STORY ON THIS SUBJECT, BUT SOURCES I DID SPEAK