At a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, former President Donald Trump once again dismissed the scientific consensus on climate change, mocking concerns over rising sea levels and arguing that the true threat to humanity is not global warming, but “nuclear warming.” His statements came as he pledged to dismantle climate policies supported by the Biden administration if he were to return to office.
“I will terminate the green new scam, one of the great scams in history. Remember our country was going to be dead in 12 years, well we came up. They say global warming, they used to call it global warming but now they call it climate change,” Trump told his audience. “You know why? Because climate change covers it if it’s too cold. We are suffering from climate change. If it’s cold, it’s good. If it’s hot as hell it’s good. It used to be Global Warming and that wasn’t working because we’re actually cooling,” he added. Shifting his focus, he said, “The biggest warming problem we have is nuclear warming.”
In a light-hearted dismissal of rising sea levels, a phenomenon supported by scientific research as one of the severe impacts of climate change, Trump continued, “So they talk all the time about the ocean will rise in 500 years, one-eighth of an inch, who the hell cares?” Trump’s comments were met with applause, as he warned of “maniacs who have nuclear weapons” as the more imminent danger.
Trump’s stance on climate issues marks a stark contrast to President Biden’s approach. Since taking office, Biden has worked to re-establish the United States as a leader in climate action, signing an executive order to re-enter the Paris Agreement—an international pact from which Trump had previously withdrawn. The Biden administration has placed strong emphasis on policies that encourage renewable energy sources and aim to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels in a bid to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Throughout his political career, Trump has consistently expressed skepticism about the human impact on climate change. During his time in the White House from 2017 to 2021, he rolled back numerous environmental regulations, promoting oil and gas drilling and arguing that environmental policies hurt American jobs. In 2017, he announced the United States’ intention to leave the Paris Agreement, arguing it unfairly favored other countries at the expense of the U.S. economy.
Should he return to office, Trump has hinted at reversing course once again, pledging to remove the U.S. from the Paris Agreement a second time. His position remains at odds with a large majority of climate scientists, who continue to warn of the dangers posed by climate change, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and longer droughts, all of which they attribute to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
The contrasting approaches highlight a key division in U.S. politics on how to handle climate change—a global issue that scientists warn could have devastating impacts unless there is a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years. As Trump continues to rally against environmental policies, climate change remains a central, and divisive, issue in the political landscape.
