President Trump during an interview broadcast early Wednesday said that he appreciates Prince Charles’s passion on climate change but dismissed the British royal’s concerns on the topic, adding that the weather “changes both ways.”
Trump told Piers Morgan of ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” that the prince spent more than an hour trying to warn him the dangers of climate change.
Prince Charles did “most of the talking” during their interaction, Trump said.{mosads}
“He is really into climate change, and I think that’s great. What he really wants and what he really feels warmly about is the future,” Trump said. “He wants to make sure future generations have climate that is good climate, as opposed to a disaster, and I agree.”
The president has long cast doubt on the existence and effects of climate change, previously suggesting that climate change was a hoax invented by the Chinese.
He pulled the U.S. out of the international Paris climate accord and downplayed a U.S. government report on the environment.
The president told Morgan that the meeting with Prince Charles was scheduled for 15 minutes but it ended up going on for nearly 90 minutes, adding that he pushed back on the suggestion that the U.S. must act on climate change.
“I did say, ‘Well, the United States right now has among the cleanest climates there are based on all statistics.’ And it’s even getting better because I agree with that we want the best water, the cleanest water. It’s crystal clean, has to be crystal clean clear.”
Morgan asked Trump if he accepts the widely accepted scientific findings showing the U.S. must lead the way in addressing global warming.
“China, India, Russia, many other nations, they have not very good air, not very good water, and the sense of pollution and cleanliness,” the president continued. “If you go to certain cities — I’m not going name but I can — you can’t even breathe, and now that air is going up.”
The host doubled down, asking the president if he believes in climate change.
“I believe there’s a change in weather, and I think it changes both ways. Don’t forget, it used to be called ‘global warming,’ that wasn’t working, then it was called ‘climate change.’ Now it’s actually called ‘extreme weather,’ because with extreme weather you can’t miss,” Trump said.
Trump spoke with Prince Charles and other members of the British royal family this week as part of his three-day state visit to the United Kingdom.
Ahead of his arrival, a teenager outside of London mowed the shape of a penis into a field along with a message visible along Trump’s flight path.
Ollie Nancarrow, 18, mowed the message “climate change is real” and the image of a polar bear into the field.
Nancarrow told Bishop’s Stortford Independent: “Donald Trump and his denial of climate change are not welcome and I want him to be fully aware of that when he flies in to Stansted on Monday.”