President Donald Trump's position on climate change has come under renewed scrutiny after he criticised 'prophets of doom' at the World Economic Forum in Davos, an event centred on sustainability. While expressing support for a trillion-tree initiative, Trump dismissed 'alarmists' seeking to 'control every aspect of our lives', highlighting his often contradictory rhetoric on the issue.
Trump has called climate change 'mythical', 'nonexistent', and an 'expensive hoax', yet also described it as a 'serious subject' important to him. In 2009, he signed a full-page advert in the New York Times supporting climate legislation, warning of 'catastrophic and irreversible consequences'. However, he later posted over 120 tweets questioning climate change, including a 2012 claim that it was 'created by and for the Chinese'—a statement he later called a joke.
Since becoming president, Trump has adopted an ambiguous stance, often framing climate change in terms of clean air and water, which are not directly related, or focusing on business costs. Experts suggest he conflates climate change with general environmentalism. Professor Michael Gerrard of Columbia University says Trump 'doesn't really understand what climate change is about', while Harvard's Joseph Goffman calls him a 'climate nihilist' who believes nothing on the issue.
Republican strategist Joseph Pinion argues Trump views climate change politically, not morally: 'In America, climate is not an issue... he cares about winning.' The Climate Deregulation Tracker has documented over 130 steps the Trump administration has taken to scale back climate measures, including withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and attempting to limit fuel economy standards. Dan Costa, a former EPA official, noted an 'anti-science stance' during his tenure.
