Trump Calls Climate Change “Greatest Con Job” at UN

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US President Donald Trump delivered a scathing speech that left world leaders reeling, branding climate change the "greatest con job" ever imposed on the world. As representatives from nations grappling with rising seas, deadly floods, and scorching heat waves listened, Trump dismissed global warming as a scheme by "stupid people" that has bled economies dry. "This green scam will make your country fail if you don’t break free," he declared, amplifying his long-held skepticism of climate science with a barrage of misleading claims and unrelated connections that sparked immediate backlash from diplomats and experts in the audience.

For Ilana Seid, Palau’s ambassador and head of the Alliance of Small Island States, Trump’s remarks were both expected and crushing. Representing nations on the brink of submersion, she called inaction on climate change "a betrayal of the most vulnerable." Similarly, Malawi’s Evans Davie Njewa emphasized the human toll, stating, "We’re endangering innocent lives worldwide."

Climate scientist Adelle Thomas, a Bahamian with over 40 studies and a Vice Chair of the UN’s IPCC, brought a personal perspective. Having endured Hurricane Sandy’s devastation in 2012, which ravaged both the Caribbean and New York—the very city of Trump’s speech—she countered, "Climate change isn’t abstract; it’s lived, deadly, and demands urgent action."

Trump’s attack on renewable energy was particularly sharp, labeling wind and solar power "pathetic" and "jokes" that are costly, weak, and ineffective. Yet, a July 2025 UN report contradicts this, noting that solar and wind are now the cheapest and fastest options for new electricity, having reached a "positive tipping point" for global adoption. Trump also falsely claimed US electricity bills are dropping while Europe’s are two to three times higher. In reality, the US Energy Information Administration reports American rates have risen faster than inflation since 2022 and will likely climb through 2026.

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The President took aim at the UN’s climate efforts, calling the 2015 Paris Agreement "fake" and justifying his withdrawal because the US allegedly paid far more than others. This misrepresents the Paris Accord, a voluntary framework where nations set their own emission goals and contributions to aid climate-vulnerable countries—no evidence supports claims of disproportionate US burdens. Trump’s rebranding of coal as "clean, beautiful" drew sharp criticism from Stanford’s Rob Jackson, who warned, "This lie kills real people—mothers, fathers, sons, daughters." Coal’s pollution claims millions of lives yearly, starkly opposing Trump’s rhetoric.

Further, Trump mocked "radical environmentalists" for supposedly wanting to eliminate cows and factories, distorting the issue of methane—a potent greenhouse gas emitted by cattle. While deforestation for ranching worsens climate impacts, Nusa Urbancic of the Changing Markets Foundation clarified that no one seeks to ban cows; reducing methane is a practical step to slow warming.

Trump’s claims of foreign "dirty air" and ocean trash polluting the US also fell flat. Domestic fossil fuel and industrial projects, exacerbated by his administration’s EPA rollbacks, are the primary culprits, while University of Exeter’s Lucy Woodall called his ocean debris comments a "complete misrepresentation" of a pressing global issue.

As nations facing existential climate threats pleaded for action, Trump’s speech deepened a stark divide. His denialist stance clashed with the lived realities of millions and the overwhelming scientific evidence, leaving the UN chamber buzzing with tension and urgency.

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