Trump's entire Cabinet misrepresents climate change

I analyzed the public statements of each nominee. It was awful. (Though Matt Gaetz was surprising?)

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Dismissing the threat of global climate change may be a prerequisite for a position in Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

Every person the president-elect has chosen to lead an executive department of the U.S. government has downplayed or misrepresented the climate crisis in some way, according to HEATED’s analysis of each nominee’s public statements.

HEATED considers accepting the full reality of climate change as acknowledging five scientific truths. They are:

• That climate change is real;

• That climate change is a serious, existential threat;

• That climate change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions;

• That greenhouse gas emissions are driven primarily by fossil fuels; and

• That solving climate change requires transitioning away from fossil fuels.

These statements are all derived from reports published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a conservative scientific body made up of thousands of experts from around the world. Its reports represent the consolidation of more than 15,000 peer-reviewed papers by a task force of more than 200 climate scientists, and must be approved by 195 countries’ governments before they’re released.

Some of Trump’s selections for Cabinet-level positions used to accept all five of these statements, but have shifted their positions in recent years. Others are full-blown climate conspiracy theorists. The latter are generally the people selected to lead environment- and energy-focused agencies. But every Cabinet-level position involves addressing the climate crisis in some way.

The Constitution requires the Senate to confirm each of these nominations. However, Trump is reportedly considering using a loophole to allow his nominees to serve without Senate confirmation.

Here are Trump’s picks, followed by their public statements on climate change, and the role they would have in addressing the problem if confirmed.

Chris Wright, Energy secretary

Wright, the CEO of a fracking services company, does not accept the reality of climate change. “There is no climate crisis,” Wright said in a LinkedIn video last year. “And we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.”

It is possible Wright is simply repeating what he wants and needs to be true instead of what he actually believes. Hell, if I were a fossil fuel executive, I’d also want the energy transition not to be happening. It’s called manifesting!

In all seriousness, this is one of Trump’s most concerning nominations. The Department of Energy plays a critical role in transitioning the U.S. energy system to renewable sources; reducing the climate impact of the energy sector; and researching clean energy technology.

Marco Rubio, secretary of State

Rubio admits that “climate change is a real problem,” but denies that greenhouse gases are the primary cause.

In a debate last year, Rubio was “unwilling to explicitly state that carbon emissions from human activity are causing climate change,” Politico Pro reported. Rubio also denies that the solution to climate change involves reducing fossil fuel use; in a 2019 op-ed, Rubio wrote that humans can simply adapt to sea level rise and worsening extreme weather.

The Secretary of State is crucial to addressing climate change on a global scale. They are responsible for leading U.S. involvement in the Paris Agreement; coordinating U.S. funding for climate adaptation in developing countries; and integrating climate concerns into broader foreign policy strategies.

Doug Burgum, Interior secretary

Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, acknowledges climate change is real and human-caused, but downplays the role of fossil fuels.

In an interview with the Sioux City Journal last year, Burgum “said the climate is changing, [but] he did not say how much of an impact fossil fuel producers and other industries have on climate change.” Burgum also created a net zero by 2030 plan for North Dakota which “did not include a transition away from fossil fuels,” the Hill reported, and instead relied on carbon capture technologies for those industries. Scientists say carbon capture technology can be a small part of the solution to climate change, but that it is physically unable to capture all fossil fuel emissions. 

If confirmed, Burgum will oversee both onshore and offshore energy development on public lands—with a primary focus on oil and gas drilling.

Lee Zeldin, EPA administrator

Zeldin has not shared his views on climate change since 2014, when he told the Newsday editorial board he wasn’t “sold yet on the whole argument that we have a serious problem.” Someone should probably ask him to update his resume.

The purpose of the EPA is to protect human health and the environment. It is in charge of enforcing climate regulations on cars and power plants, the two most polluting sectors of the economy.

Pete Hegseth, secretary of Defense

Hegseth, a Fox News host, is a climate denier. He’s claimed climate scientists are part of a conspiratorial left-wing plot to control Americans via the government. “It’s all about control for them,” he said in 2019. “That’s why climate change is the perfect enemy. They get to control your life to deal with it no matter what’s happening.”

The Defense secretary is responsible for ensuring Americans are protected against natural security threats—including climate change, which the DoD currently recognizes as a “threat multiplier.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services

Ten years ago, Kennedy was calling for a law to punish politicians who deny climate change. Today, he downplays the severity of climate change, dismissing it as an “obsession” that distracts from other environmental problems. “There are actually a lot more important things than carbon,” he said in a recent campaign ad. “Habitat preservation is the most important thing we can do.”

In reality, both things are extremely important—and are, in fact, inextricably linked.

The HHS is responsible for overseeing the nation’s health policies—and climate change is “the most significant threat to human health in the 21st century,” according to the current U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health.

Matt Gaetz, attorney general

Gaetz has a surprising history of accepting both the severity of the climate crisis and its connection to fossil fuels. “Fossil fuels are not our future. They just aren’t,” Gaetz said on a 2019 podcast. In 2020, he said there is “a scientific consensus that the Earth is getting warmer. There is a moral consensus that we should do something about it.”

Gaetz does, however, routinely downplay the magnitude and speed at which a transition away from fossil fuels must happen to effectively tackle climate change. His own climate policy proposal—which he calls the “Green Real Deal”—acknowledges the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but sets no specific timeline or targets for doing so. Gaetz also says Democrats “use climate change as an excuse to regulate the American experience out of existence,” playing into the same conspiracies as his more extreme climate-denying colleagues. 

The U.S. Attorney General is in charge of enforcing environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. They also represent the federal government in defending the constitutionality of actions taken by the EPA.

Kristi Noem, secretary of Homeland Security

Noem does not accept the reality of climate change. “It hasn’t been proven to me that what we’re doing is affecting the climate,” the governor of South Dakota told a reporter in 2022.

The DHS is responsible for ensuring U.S. safety in the face of natural disasters—as well as responding to them. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is part of DHS.

Tulsi Gabbard, director of National Intelligence

Gabbard used to express deep concern about climate change and its impacts on her home state of Hawaii. But following devastating wildfires in Maui last year, the former congresswoman slammed activists and politicians calling for climate action in response. “Blaming climate change for everything is just another way for politicians to try to evade responsibility,” she said in a Fox News interview. In fact, scientists said climate change did contribute to worsening Maui’s wildfires.

The National Intelligence Director is responsible for coordinating the U.S. Intelligence Community's efforts to understand and assess the national security risks of climate change.

Sean Duffy, Transportation secretary

Duffy is a full-blown climate conspiracy theorist. “Is it coming from CO2 or is it coming from the sun?” the former Congressman asked on Fox News last week. He accused the “left” of trying to “shut down alternative science” that shows climate change isn’t caused by greenhouse gas emissions. “Maybe it actually is an agenda of control,” he said.

The Department of Transportation is responsible for overseeing efforts to reduce emissions from the transportation sector; expand electric vehicle infrastructure; and adapt the nation’s roads, bridges, airports and train systems to withstand climate impacts.

Linda McMahon, Education secretary

Linda McMahon, a former professional wrestling executive, has not opined on climate change since her unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010. At the time, she mischaracterized how much scientists knew about the source of climate change. “I just don’t think we have the answers as to why it changes,” she said. “I’m not a scientist, so I couldn’t pretend to understand all the reasons. But the bottom line is we really don’t know.” We did, and we have for decades.

The Department of Education does not directly handle climate policies, but has the ability to promote and support climate educations programs, as well as strengthen the climate resilience and sustainability of school infrastructure.

*Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the IPCC produces reports annually. They come out every few years.

Further reading:

• Chris Wright, Trump's pick for energy secretary, is wrong about green energy, experts say

• 12 big changes Trump could make to climate and environment policy

• As Trump retakes White House, climate-change experts gird for another four-year fight

• “Drill baby drill” returns as G20 drops fossil fuel phase-out from final draft

Further listening:

Following Trump’s re-election, I was invited to work out my thoughts on two podcasts: Planet: Critical, an independent project hosted by journalist Rachel Donald, and What on Earth, a weekly environmental podcast broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) and hosted by journalist Laura Lynch.

The CBC podcast was more of a straight-up newsy vibe. My conversation with Rachel was a little looser, with a bit more laughter. You can check either/both out using the links above, or by searching on your favorite podcast app. There’s also video of my Planet: Critical appearance below.

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