Trump approvingly tweets quote expressing skepticism about climate change

President Trump on Tuesday shared a quote from a “Fox & Friends” guest who denied that climate change was caused by humans or that it is a threat.

Trump tweeted out comments from Patrick Moore, the former co-founder of environmental group Greenpeace, who described the climate crisis as “fake news” and “fake science.”

{mosads}”The whole climate crisis is not only Fake News, it’s Fake Science. There is no climate crisis, there’s weather and climate all around the world, and in fact carbon dioxide is the main building block of all life,” Trump quoted Moore as saying on “Fox & Friends.”

“Wow!” Trump added in sharing the quote.

Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace: “The whole climate crisis is not only Fake News, it’s Fake Science. There is no climate crisis, there’s weather and climate all around the world, and in fact carbon dioxide is the main building block of all life.” @foxandfriends Wow!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2019

Moore was critical of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and the Green New Deal she has promoted to combat climate change, calling it a “silly plan.” 

“Yes of course climate change is real. It’s been happening since the beginning of time. But it’s not dangerous, and it’s not made by people,” he said, calling it a “perfectly natural phenomenon.”

Greenpeace offered a statement to Fox News pushing back against Moore, who left the group decades ago. The statement was read on air.

“Moore does not represent Greenpeace. His statements have nothing to do with Greenpeace’s positions,” the group said, offering praise for the Green New Deal.

Trump has long cast doubt on the existence and effects of climate change. The president late last year downplayed a government report on the subject, telling reporters that he doesn’t believe its warnings about the economic impacts of climate change. 

He has previously suggested it’s a hoax invented by the Chinese and has cited winter storms to push back on the idea of global warming.

Scientists have noted that there is a difference between weather and climate and that cold weather does not dispel the existence of long-term climate change. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association said 2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record by average temperature.