WASHINGTON, D.C.—On March 23-24, some 300 scientists, academics, and other experts assembled in the nation’s capital at the Heartland Institute’s 12th international conference on climate change, titled “Resetting U.S. Climate Policy.” The goal was to throw out agenda-driven science and policy and have an honest discussion about what is really happening with the world’s weather.
Only a year ago, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch asked the FBI to prosecute some of these very experts as “climate change deniers.” But, today, assembled here were some of the men and women Donald Trump had turned to for advice on climate issues during his presidential campaign. With Trump’s victory, these scientists are now on the winning side—at least in theory.
Lord Christopher Monckton donned a red “Make America Great Again” hat before telling attendees in his keynote speech: “I am delighted that, against all odds, the Republicans prevailed, because they have been the party that has had a debate within their ranks about climate. [They concluded] what is going on in climate science is unacceptable, and that the drastic increases in the cost of electricity and gasoline as a result of trying to make non-existent global warming go away would hit the poorest hardest. And no small part of the reason why Mr. Trump did so well in the rustbelt states . . . is that they knew he was on their side. He spoke for the ordinary working man.”
