Trump Calls Climate Change ‘Greatest Con Job’ in Fiery UN Address

President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, intensifying his opposition to global climate action. In his remarks, Trump criticized the European Union for pursuing emissions reductions, claiming it had weakened its economy, and warned countries investing in renewable energy that they risked financial decline. “All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong,” he told delegates, adding they were made by “stupid people” who cost their countries “fortunes.” Trump’s comments starkly contrasted with the scientific consensus that climate change is real, human-driven, and worsening, with rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and melting ice as clear indicators. His administration has doubled down on an “energy dominance” agenda prioritizing oil, gas, coal, and nuclear energy while sidelining renewables, even as clean energy has become cost-competitive. The U.S. has already submitted its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement for the second time, leaving it alongside Yemen, Iran, and Libya outside the pact. Trump’s remarks came just a day before U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres convenes a climate summit urging stronger global action, highlighting the stark divide between U.S. policy and international momentum toward clean energy.