President Trump believes that climate is changing and that pollution is playing a part in it, according to United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Haley’s comments in a sneak peak of an interview to be aired during Sunday’s “State of the Union” on CNN come a few days after President Trump announced that the U.S. will exit the Paris climate accord which seeks to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. That move sparked questions over whether Trump believes in climate change as several top administration officials declined to say if Trump believes in it.
“President Trump believes the climate is changing and he believes pollutants are part of the equation,” Haley said in an excerpt that was released Saturday.
Trump has expressed skepticism of global warming for years. He tweeted back in 2012 that it was a hoax created by the Chinese.
President Trump believes the climate is changing and that humans have a role in it, @nikkihaley tells @jaketapper https://t.co/tGux700o39 pic.twitter.com/1GllnVaSUc— CNN (@CNN) June 3, 2017
Haley also sought to play down the significance of leaving the Paris accords, saying that the president will “watch out for the environment.”
“Just because we got out of a club doesn’t mean we don’t care about the environment,” she said.
Haley also argued that it wasn’t possible for the U.S. to meet Paris’ voluntary goals for cutting carbon emissions.
The decision by Trump on Thursday earned widespread support from Republicans opposed to the deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama. However, several major businesses had advocated for keeping in the deal, alongside some parts of Trump’s own administration.
