Trump claims AOC ‘never studied’ climate crisis and dismisses environmental threats

Trump unloads on Democrats in interview after GOP victories in Virginia, Ohio

Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the US Capitol (EPA)

Former President Donald Trump unloaded on the Democratic Party in a wide-ranging interview on a conservative broadcasting network early Wednesday after Republicans won the Virginia governor’s mansion and performed well in other key races.

Speaking about President Joe Biden’s trip to Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 climate summit, Mr Trump characterised Mr Biden’s mission abroad as a failure, while seemingly claiming that the Democrats’ climate provisions in the two-pronged infrastructure package working through Congress were the creation of Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive who has called for much further drastic action on the issue.

Targeting the young congresswoman as he often does, Mr Trump claimed: “It came from AOC, who never even studied climate. They just made up the stuff.”

“They talk about it, they have no idea what’s going to happen,” he added, apparently referring to predictions from leading scientists around the world regarding sea level rise and the frequency of severe weather.

Mr Trump also repeatedly claimed, without explanation, that “nuclear weapons” were “the real climate change” that US lawmakers should be worried about.

“The risk we have is nuclear weapons. That’s your climate change,” Mr Trump said, without mentioning which country’s nuclear program to which he referred.

His remarks came after Glenn Youngkin appeared poised to win a decisive victory in Virginia despite attempts by Democrats to focus the governor’s race on Mr Trump and the events of 6 January.

Virginia Democrats paid for flyers to be sent to voters touting the former president’s endorsement of Mr Youngkin and calling the race within reach for the GOP days ahead of the election, an attempt to energise their own voters which backfired as much of the state’s voters evidently did not see the former president as a liability to the GOP.

The defeat was a bruising one for Democrats, who earlier in the day were predicting a victory by Terry McAuliffe. For months, Washington pundits insisted that the race would be a referendum on Mr Biden’s agenda, and that discussion revved up on Tuesday once again as it became clear Mr Youngkin had built a sizable lead.

Mr Biden’s infrastructure plan now faces new urgency from many on Capitol Hill to pass, while battles continue between the progressive and conservative wings of the party over issues like the SALT [state and local tax] deductions as well as immigration reform and expanding Medicaid.

The former president remains on top of the Republican Party as its kingmaker, choosing to endorse candidates around the country and in particular against fellow GOPers who have shown him insufficient loyalty.

Many are now wondering whether the Virginia results will be replicated nationwide next year; House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly predicted on Tuesday that his party could pick up as many as 50 seats in the House in 2022 should the trend continue, while Democrats in purple seats now face a massive burden to tout the records of the Biden administration and themselves as they try to retain control of the body.