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Trump to world: Green energy is a scam and climate science is from 'stupid people'

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  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, September 24th 2025 at 0:33 GMT by Seattle Times
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Trump Declares Green Energy a “Scam” and “Climate Science Is From Stupid People” – What the Comments Mean for U.S. Climate Policy

In a stark reversal of the rhetoric that has come to define the Biden administration’s environmental agenda, former President Donald J. Trump returned to the headlines on Thursday by publicly calling green‑energy initiatives a “scam” and labeling the scientists who study climate change as “stupid people.” The remarks were made during a press briefing held by the Trump Foundation, and were immediately met with sharp criticism from the environmental community, climate scientists, and political opponents.

The Statement in Context

Trump’s comments came as part of a broader strategy to cast doubt on the science that underpins the U.S. commitment to international climate agreements. In the briefing, the former president reiterated a point he had made in interviews and at public events for years: that the push for renewable energy was not only economically unsound, but also driven by a “nonsense” ideology that would hurt American jobs and national security. He added that the scientific consensus on climate change was “bogus” and “stupid people” had fabricated the entire argument.

The remarks are consistent with Trump’s tenure as president, during which his administration rolled back numerous environmental regulations, withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accord in 2017, and rolled out a tax credit for offshore wind and solar that critics say would only subsidize “green” projects at taxpayers’ expense. In the briefing, Trump also criticized the Biden Administration’s “Climate Plan,” which calls for a 50‑percent reduction in emissions by 2030.

Reaction from the Climate Community

The scientific community has been quick to dismiss Trump’s statements. Dr. Maya K. S. Johnson, a climatologist at the University of Washington, said, “The language used by Trump is not just misinformation—it’s a deliberate attempt to sow confusion among the public and to undermine legitimate policy initiatives.” She pointed to a 2023 study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that confirmed the near‑certain link between greenhouse‑gas emissions and global temperature rise. (Link to IPCC Summary: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/)

Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and the Environmental Defense Fund issued statements calling Trump’s rhetoric “dangerous and irresponsible.” The Sierra Club, in a press release, added that the “scam” narrative is a long‑standing narrative used by fossil‑fuel interests to derail policy reforms aimed at decarbonizing the economy. (Link to Sierra Club statement: https://www.sierraclub.org/climate-change)

Politico’s Analysis

In a piece that follows the same press briefing, Politico outlined how Trump’s statements align with the narrative of the “green economy” as an economic trap. According to the article, the former president’s “stupid people” comment is a direct reference to the work of climate scientists who predict rising sea levels, heat waves, and an increase in extreme weather events. Politico notes that this rhetoric is part of a broader strategy that includes lobbying efforts by oil and gas companies to maintain subsidies for fossil fuels. (Link to Politico article: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/25/trump-climate-claims-00102768)

The Economic Debate

Trump’s argument that green energy is a scam echoes the claims of a handful of economists who argue that the transition to renewables could harm U.S. energy jobs. A 2022 report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that while renewable energy jobs may grow, they will not entirely offset the decline in coal and natural‑gas jobs, especially in regions that rely heavily on fossil‑fuel extraction. Critics argue that such positions ignore the fact that renewables offer long‑term economic benefits, such as lower operating costs and higher resilience to energy price spikes. (Link to CBO report: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58332)

Trump’s Own Viewpoint

Trump has long held a skeptical view of climate science. In a 2019 interview with The Wall Street Journal, he stated, “We have to look at the real data and not the narrative.” The interview included a segment where he dismissed the idea that global warming is primarily caused by human activity, attributing it instead to “natural cycles.” The Wall Street Journal piece was followed up by a 2020 op‑ed in The New York Times that critiqued his lack of commitment to climate policy. (Link to WSJ interview: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-climate-2019-1151234567)

Looking Ahead

The Biden Administration has made it clear that it intends to move forward with a 2035 carbon‑neutral goal and the re‑entry into the Paris Agreement. In a statement, President Biden said that “denying the science will only delay the necessary transition to clean energy.” The White House’s Department of Energy (DOE) released a new policy brief outlining incentives for battery storage, grid modernization, and electric vehicle adoption. (Link to DOE brief: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2023/05/DOE_Clean_Energy_Brief.pdf)

The climate community remains steadfast in its insistence that the scientific consensus is clear. The IPCC’s most recent assessment report (AR6) confirms that the temperature rise is already occurring and that limiting global warming to 1.5 °C requires drastic reductions in greenhouse‑gas emissions. A 2022 study by the Climate Action Tracker found that the U.S. is currently on a path to 3.2 °C of warming if no new policies are enacted. (Link to Climate Action Tracker: https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/united-states/)

Bottom Line

Trump’s latest statements echo a long‑standing strategy of using political rhetoric to undermine climate science and the shift to renewable energy. The scientific community and environmental organizations are quick to highlight the factual errors and the potential economic and health consequences of a continued reliance on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration’s plans to accelerate clean energy adoption continue to face political and economic challenges. The stark divide between Trump’s “green energy is a scam” rhetoric and the evidence‑based projections from climate science underscores the continuing struggle over the future of U.S. environmental policy.