The White House hit back Friday at criticism of Donald Trump’s decision to scrap a major global climate deal, accusing Europe of trying to “shackle” the US economy and refusing to acknowledge climate change is real.
With the United States virtually isolated on the world stage, a string of administration officials went on the offensive Friday to justify the Republican president’s decision to abandon the 195-nation Paris deal curbing global emissions.
Trump’s top climate advisor Scott Pruitt was indignant: “The world applauded when we joined Paris. And you know why? I think they applauded because they knew it would put this country at a disadvantage.”
“The European leaders, why do they want us to stay in? They know it will continue to shackle our economy,” said Pruitt, who serves as Trump’s Environment Protection Agency administrator.
That combative tone came amid a wave of bitter condemnation from around the world and as Trump and his aides refused to say whether he believes climate change is real, in line with the global scientific consensus.
Trump ignored the question when asked by journalists during an unrelated event with law enforcement officers, although he did joke that Thursday’s decision had proven “controversial.”
Along with Trump, Pruitt and White House press secretary Sean Spicer were among those who refused to answer repeated questions on the subject.
Instead, Pruitt lashed out, saying “we have nothing to be apologetic about as a country,” despite the United States being the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China.
“We have taken significant steps to reduce our CO2 footprint,” he said.
That message is likely to play well with Trump’s Republican base, which revelled in defeating what Pruitt called the “environmental left” and “climate exaggerators.”
– Backlash at home –
Expressions of shock and regret poured in from around the world, including from Pacific islands at risk of being swallowed by rising seas, who accused Washington of “abandoning” them.
