"Greatest con job": Trump pushes climate change denial in United Nations speech
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President Trump speaks at the United Nations headquarters on Sept. 23. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images.
President Trump derided the United Nations for raising awareness of climate change, calling it the "greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world" in remarks at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
Why it matters: While many of the U.S.'s allies have pledged to combat the trend of global warming, Trump mocked their investments in green energy and commitment to sustainability in a tirade minimizing its risks.
What he's saying: "I'm telling you that if you don't get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail," Trump told the room full of world leaders.
- "All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong. They were made by stupid people," he said.
- "The carbon footprint is a hoax made up by people with evil intentions, and they're heading down a path of total destruction," Trump said.
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Executive Office of the United Nations Environment Programme did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Reality check: Global temperatures are rising due to human activity, with the biggest increases occurring in the past 40 years, research shows.
- The ocean is warming, the sea level is rising, and extreme weather events including extreme cold are happening more frequently.
The big picture: The president's comments effectively disregarded the threats that climate change poses and contradicted the research published by U.S. government agencies.
- Coastal megacities such as New York City and Bangkok are at risk as sea level rise accelerates. Residents of island countries like Vanuatu could eventually be displaced by it altogether.
- The global food system will also face disruptions as a result of climate change, including price spikes, limited availability and diminishing food safety standards, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Zoom out: Trump has repeatedly attacked broader global climate initiatives since returning to office in January.
- He initiated proceedings to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, a global pact to keep the planet's warming below 2°C relative to preindustrial levels.
- Trump also signed a far-reaching executive order that cut off American funding for the UN's climate summits and other policy activities.
Go deeper: New "State of the Climate" report delivers sobering and stunning data
