Donald Trump went to a press conference in the UK. His time as president will likely be remembered as one of the darkest in American history. He tried to overturn the 2020 election, pushed people toward the violent attack on the Capitol in 2021, mishandled the COVID-19 crisis, deepened divisions in the country, encouraged a culture of political violence, and filled the presidency with dishonesty and corruption.
But beyond all that, there’s another part of his record that could be even worse in the long run—his actions against the environment.
Trump has consistently denied that climate change is real, even though the evidence is overwhelming. Human activity is heating the planet, melting ice caps, raising sea levels, and causing major shifts in weather patterns. These changes have already made hurricanes more destructive, floods more common, wildfires more severe, droughts longer, and heat waves deadlier.
The toll has been massive. In 2023 alone, about 2,300 Americans died from heat-related causes. Since 2020, around 400 people have died every year from extreme weather disasters like hurricanes and floods. In 2024, over 4 million Americans were forced to leave their homes because of climate disasters, and that same year saw 27 major weather events that each cost more than \$1 billion in damages. Almost half of the most extreme climate disasters since 1980 happened just in the last five years.
Industries that rely heavily on water, especially farming, have been hit hard. Droughts in the western U.S. have left farmers struggling with water shortages, lower crop yields, invasive pests, plant diseases, and falling incomes. Farmworkers also face growing health risks from extreme heat and exposure to chemicals.
Scientists are in agreement: human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, are driving these changes. To avoid the worst outcomes, the world must keep average global temperatures from rising more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The U.S., as the second biggest polluter, has a huge responsibility to cut emissions.
Instead, Trump has gone in the opposite direction. He rolled back rules meant to cut industrial pollution, pushed for greater reliance on fossil fuels, and cut funding for renewable energy and electric cars. While many countries are moving to reduce their carbon footprints, Trump’s policies have only made America’s bigger.
This means he bears responsibility for lives lost, homes destroyed, billions in economic damage, and worsening living conditions—especially for poorer Americans who have fewer resources to adapt. He has chosen loyalty to the oil industry over the well-being of ordinary people.
Oil companies have poured millions into Trump’s campaigns, and in return he has protected their profits by blocking cleaner alternatives and tearing down environmental protections. Meanwhile, states like California, New York, Hawaii, and others have taken strong steps toward clean energy, setting ambitious goals to cut emissions. But Trump’s administration has actively fought these efforts, even suing states for trying to hold fossil fuel companies accountable.
By ignoring climate change, Trump is not just being careless—he is setting up future generations for catastrophic suffering. Entire communities could face unlivable conditions, food shortages, and mass displacement. His choices put political gain and oil industry profits above human survival. That is not just reckless. It is destructive at a level that can only be described as evil.
