US President Donald Trump reignited the climate change debate on Friday, taking a swipe at global warming concerns as forecasts warned of a powerful winter storm sweeping across much of the country. With nearly two-thirds of the United States bracing for extreme cold, the president used the moment to question long-standing scientific warnings about a warming planet.
Posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump highlighted predictions that around 40 states would be hit by a severe cold wave. “Record Cold Wave expected to hit 40 States. Rarely seen anything like it before,” he wrote, before adding, “Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain – WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???”
A Familiar Stance On Climate Change
Trump’s remarks were consistent with his long-held scepticism about climate change. He has repeatedly dismissed global warming as a “hoax” and framed scientific warnings as part of a broader political agenda. During his first term, he withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement in 2020, a move he repeated at the start of his second term in 2025.
The Republican leader has continued to champion fossil fuels while rolling back clean energy initiatives. His well-known “drill, baby, drill” slogan underscores his push for expanded oil and gas production, positioning traditional energy sources as central to the country’s future.
Storm Threatens Millions Across US
Trump’s comments came as a vast winter storm advanced toward the eastern two-thirds of the nation, raising concerns about potentially catastrophic damage, widespread power outages and dangerously low temperatures. The system was expected to disrupt daily life across large swathes of the country.
Travel was already feeling the impact. More than 1,500 flights within, into or out of the United States were delayed or cancelled ahead of the storm, including services at major airports in Dallas, Atlanta and Oklahoma, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Authorities warned that the scale of the weather event was significant. Around 160 million people were under winter storm or cold weather watches or warnings, and in many areas, both advisories were in effect as the bitter conditions approached.
