September 14, 2020

“It’ll Start Getting Cooler”: Trump Responds to Wildfire Crisis by Denying Climate Change

Trump’s claims about climate science were false.

Andrew Harnik/AP

At a Monday morning roundtable in California, where 3.2 million acres of land has burned this year in wildfires, state leaders begged President Donald Trump to acknowledge reality.

“We want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forest, and actually work together with that science,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary for natural resources, said. “If we ignore that science and sort of put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together protecting Californians.”

“K, it’ll start getting cooler,” Trump replied. “You just watch.”

“I wish science agreed with you,” Crowfoot said.

“Well, I don’t think science knows, actually,” Trump said.

Trump has repeatedly insisted that climate change is a hoax. But he’s wrong. The science is clear: Humans are rapidly warming the planet, and it isn’t going to magically “start getting cooler.”

This isn’t the first time Trump has denied a scientific reality to distract from the catastrophes that have befallen the nation during his presidency. But it seems especially callous given the inescapable reality that climate change will increase the frequency and severity of wildfires. Watch the video:

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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