Trump at CPAC 2025: A Rally Against Climate Policy and Advocacy for Fossil Fuels
At the 2025 CPAC, Donald Trump and other conservative leaders rallied against climate policy and promoted fossil fuel interests. Trump’s address condemned the Paris Agreement and the Green New Deal, lacking factual basis for his claims. Key speakers emphasized deregulation and the need for energy dominance in light of emerging technologies. Alaska’s Governor Dunleavy signaled his political aspirations, furthering the agenda. The event lacked scientific engagement on climate change, largely focusing on ideological opposition.
In February 2025, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) convened near Washington, D.C., uniting conservatives around President Donald Trump and a pro-fossil fuel agenda. Senior leaders on the right, including Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk, and Steve Bannon, expressed unwavering support for the MAGA movement, culminating in Trump’s speech where he derided climate policies as ineffective.
Trump passionately rejected the Paris Agreement, labeling it a “disaster” and dismissing the Green New Deal as the “Green New Scam,” which he claimed had squandered trillions without tangible results. His rhetoric lacked factual basis, asserting that Biden had mandated electric vehicles and criticizing hydrogen cars without evidence of related hazards.
The environmental discussions at CPAC displayed a clear shift in tone, departing from previous years’ more data-driven climate denial to focused critiques of climate initiatives. Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss emphasized the negative impact of net-zero policies on the UK’s energy sector, citing rising costs and the closure of steel plants. Her call to dismantle the deep state echoed similar sentiments from Trump, pushing for a restoration of traditional governance.
Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy Secretary, characterized the conference’s agenda as one promoting energy production at the expense of regulations initiated during the Biden era. He highlighted the urgency of addressing energy demands from emergent technologies like Artificial Intelligence, thus aligning conservative energy policy with innovation.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy’s presence at CPAC indicated his aspirations for higher office, with promotional ties to Trump centered around energy projects like a natural gas pipeline. Dunleavy projected Alaska as a solution to national energy needs while mentioning efforts to work closely with Trump’s administration.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum outlined ambitions for exploiting public land resources to bolster trade and national interests. His remarks underscored the goal of achieving energy dominance, despite ongoing debates about environmental impacts and regulatory authority. Meanwhile, CFACT was the only group engaging in climate dialogue at CPAC, promoting a conservative view on climate science, despite the prevailing trends in the broader discussion.
Trump’s address at CPAC 2025 exemplified a consolidation of conservative opposition to climate initiatives, with calls for deregulation and a return to traditional energy sources. The notable absence of substantial scientific discourse marked a departure from past engagements on climate change. As speakers like Liz Truss and Chris Wright articulated the potential for energy dominance and economic competition with China, the trend towards fossil fuel promotion indicated a strategic pivot within the conservative agenda.
Original Source: www.desmog.com
