On Sept. 23, President Donald Trump spoke at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He spent most of his address speaking about climate change.
The President’s first claim to the General Assembly was that the UN has consistently been wrong about its predictions of climate change.
“All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong,” Trump said. “They were made by stupid people that have cost their countries’ fortunes and have given those same countries no chance for success.”
The President called climate change a “green scam” and the “greatest con job to ever be perpetrated on the world”, claiming that countries that participate in efforts to combat it will ultimately fail.
Trump continued, discussing immigration and renewable energy, which he called a “double-tailed monster [that] destroys everything in its wake”. He also said the concept of carbon footprint is “nonsense” and “a hoax” and that efforts to reduce carbon emissions cost jobs. Conversely, reports show that jobs in the clean energy economy are outpacing the rest of the economy, and that 3.5 million Americans were employed in clean energy positions (as of 2024).
Trump’s speech contained many other claims about climate change and renewable efforts, including a statement saying that American environmentalists want to “kill all the cows.” He commented on air quality, stating that America has the cleanest air it has had in many years, and that air in countries like China is “a little bit rough,” claiming that it then blows into countries with clean air and makes their air dirty.
Trump’s speech has been met with backlash from social activists, politicians, and climate scientists alike. Dr. Adelle Thomas, a climate scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, gave her thoughts on how Trump’s speech will impact communities.
Thomas is not alone in this sentiment, and Trump’s speech has left many worried about the future of environmentalism.
