Trump calls climate-change policy ‘greatest con-job ever perpetrated,’ faults it for West’s decline at UN

WASHINGTON — President Trump argued Tuesday that policies meant to mitigate the effect of climate change are all just a bunch of hot air, calling them “the greatest con-job ever perpetrated” in scathing remarks to the United Nations General Assembly. “You know, it used to be global cooling. If you look back in the 1920s and 1930s, they said global cooling will kill the world,” Trump riffed during his wide-ranging speech. “Then they said global warming will kill the world.” “Now they can just call it climate change, because that way they can’t miss,” he vented. “Climate change — because if it goes higher or lower, whatever the hell happens, is climate change. “It’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.” President Trump has long been an ardent skeptic of green energy policies.

Allies of President Trump have argued that the planet’s climate had been changing long before humans roamed the Earth, and the president pressed that line during the address. He argued that ominous predictions about the Earth’s temperature rising to dangerous levels due to fossil fuel emissions have been wildly overstated. “All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong. They were made by stupid people that have cost their countries fortunes,” Trump groused without naming specific examples. He noted that some early 20th century journalism—such as articles catalogued by critics as references to a potential “ice age”—predated contemporary worries about global warming, while insisting that many dire forecasts from scientists about global warming have not come to fruition. Glacier National Park, he said, was once cited as evidence that all its glaciers would melt by 2020, a prediction he framed as an example of how forecasts can mislead the public. The United Nations has been home to international discussions about combating climate change.

Echoing comments on the campaign trail, Trump dismissed the use of “pathetic” and “expensive” windmills, while saying that solar panels were “taking away farmland.” “Most expensive energy ever conceived,” Trump complained, adding that “we’re not letting this happen in America.” “I’ve been right about everything, and I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail,” Trump crowed at another point. “I’m the president of the United States, but I worry about Europe.” “The carbon footprint is a hoax made up by people with evil intentions, and they’re heading down a path of total destruction.” President Trump has championed fossil fuels and nuclear energy. He pointed to Europe’s higher heat-related death rate compared to the US, something he and researchers blamed on the continent’s culture of frowning on air conditioning. “So while the US has approximately 1,300 heat-related deaths annually — that’s a lot — Europe loses more than 175,000 people to heat deaths each year, because the cost is so expensive you can’t turn on an air conditioner,” the president said. “That’s not the Europe that I love and know.” Trump stressed that the US was “ready to provide any country with abundant, affordable energy supplies if you need them.”

Throughout his 57-minute speech, Trump wove in jabs about climate change between his riffs on immigration, wars raging around the world, the failings of the UN, and boasts about his accomplishments as president. Foreign leaders and dignitaries in the audience remained largely solemn when Trump spoke, greeting his climate change remarks with murmurs of discussion.

The remarks come as the White House has pushed for energy policy that prioritizes domestic production and economic resilience, arguing that energy independence strengthens national security. Advocates of the president’s approach say technological advances in oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy offer a path to affordable power while reducing reliance on external markets. Critics, however, contend that dismissing climate science undercuts international cooperation on emissions reductions and adaptation. In his address, Trump cast doubts on long-standing forecasts and referred repeatedly to the economic costs of renewable energy mandates, signaling that energy policy would remain a central issue in his broader political narrative.

Observers noted that the UN audience’s reaction was largely muted, with some delegates exchanging quiet conversations as Trump listed grievances about global governance and climate policy. While the speech touched on energy, it also touched on immigration, military engagements abroad, and the administration’s agenda on trade and sanctions, underscoring the shape of Trump’s multi-topic approach to foreign policy and his argument that America’s interests should take priority on the world stage. The climate topic, however, dominated attention given its potential to recalibrate international energy markets and climate diplomacy in the years ahead.

As climate negotiations continue in various forums, Trump’s remarks add to a broader debate within the United States about how to balance economic growth with environmental stewardship. Supporters argue that a focus on energy resilience and innovation can yield affordable power while maintaining global competitiveness. Critics warn that rolling back or ridiculing climate policies could hamper international efforts to curb emissions and mitigate climate risks that affect vulnerable communities around the world.

In the immediate aftermath of his appearance at the UN General Assembly, analysts said the speech was unlikely to shift the international consensus on climate action, but it underscored a persistent fault line in global energy policy: the tension between advocating aggressive climate measures and pursuing energy access and affordability at home. As nations convene to discuss next steps, the coming months are likely to see continued debate over how best to align national interests with shared environmental objectives.

The Sierra National Forest in California, a symbol of the ongoing environmental conversation in the United States, also frames the context in which leaders speak about energy, climate, and land use. The policy choices made in Washington, D.C., and New York’s corridors of diplomacy will influence not only emissions trajectories but the pace at which communities adapt to a changing climate and the way energy resources power economies around the world.