President Donald Trump tweeted Monday night that frigid temperatures in the Midwest were reason to distrust the scientific consensus on global warming.
Trump took the cold weather as evidence that climate change isn't a threat to the earth and humanity, mockingly imploring global "waming" to "please come back fast, we need you!"
In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In comin… https://t.co/FnaCaBA5Nz— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1548728929.0
But, as most Americans know, climate change and global warming haven't gone anywhere. In fact, officials from the Climate Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rebutted the same claim by the following morning.
Winter storms don't prove that global warming isn't happening. https://t.co/LDqfq4JH9n https://t.co/ndmLD637Cb— NOAA Climate.gov (@NOAA Climate.gov) 1548774023.0
NOAA is under jurisdiction of the Commerce Department, headed by Commerce Secretary and Trump appointee Wilbur L. Ross.
While NOAA's tweet didn't call out the President directly, many were led to believe they were trolling him.
Is the NOAA trolling the president? https://t.co/Gybz4TyEdT— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin) 1548784808.0
@NOAAClimate Good, good - cartoons might reach this stable genius. https://t.co/PVUpnHLS4n— 🐬🌎🌍🌏 (@🐬🌎🌍🌏) 1548780999.0
@NOAAClimate @TVsJonLee Government department subtweeting the leader of the Executive Branch https://t.co/diiq5nPmJz— Dana Childs (@Dana Childs) 1548783871.0
@NOAAClimate Today's forecast is stone cold with a 100% chance of shade— alain smithee (@alain smithee) 1548781684.0
@NOAAClimate He does like pictures! Maybe this will do the trick?— michelle (@michelle) 1548775655.0
@NOAAClimate In case you thought climate scientists don’t study “shade!”— Werner Heisenberg (@Werner Heisenberg) 1548785259.0
While the President's own officials trolling him may seem comical, the tweet brought about some sobering thoughts.
For instance, the President's denial of expert opinions and overestimation of his own knowledge. This isn't a first either. Last year, multiple federal agencies compiled a report stressing the inevitable threat of unmitigated climate change. Trump's response to the report by his own officials? "I don't believe it."
He later said:
“One of the problems that a lot of people like myself, we have very high levels of intelligence, but we’re not necessarily such believers. You look at our air and our water, and it’s right now at a record clean. But when you look at China and you look at parts of Asia and when you look at South America, and when you look at many other places in this world, including Russia, including — just many other places — the air is incredibly dirty.”
Many feel that Trump has stood so adamantly against facts for so long that merely pointing out truth constitutes "throwing shade" at the President.
@kylegriffin1 When facts and science are considered "trolling the president", the problem is the president.— Ghost of Trump Yet to Come🎄👻🎅 (@Ghost of Trump Yet to Come🎄👻🎅) 1548784934.0
@kylegriffin1 Sad that accurately reporting facts are considered trolling in this day and age— Natalie (@Natalie) 1548785385.0
@kylegriffin1 It’s a sad state we’re in when a governmental agency stating a scientific fact is considered trolling… https://t.co/JFPwvjq3y1— Joe Rose (@Joe Rose) 1548795589.0
@kylegriffin1 @cbergner When there are so many misconceptions to correct, eventually it will sound like trolling.— billydee (@billydee) 1548797234.0
@kylegriffin1 They are just standing up to insanity.— Wayne Everhart (@Wayne Everhart) 1548787785.0
Hopefully, it won't take disaster for climate change deniers to come to terms with the truth.