Donald Trump has repeatedly dismissed or downplayed climate change, often calling it a “hoax,” a “con job,” or a “scam,” while attacking policies aimed at cutting emissions or expanding renewable energy.

Key things Trump has said

  • He has described climate change and related policies as “the greatest con job ever inflicted on the world” and a “green scam,” claiming international bodies like the United Nations use it to hurt national economies.
  • He has mocked scientific warnings, saying things like it will “start getting cooler” and suggesting that “science doesn’t know,” framing climate science as exaggerated or unreliable.
  • He has repeatedly questioned or denied mainstream climate science, using terms such as “hoax” or “conspiracy” while sometimes adding that he is “for the environment” in general.

Policy actions backing his views

  • He moved to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, signalling that he viewed international climate efforts as unfair constraints on U.S. sovereignty and industry.
  • His administrations have prioritized fossil fuel production (“energy dominance”) and rolled back or weakened regulations such as Obama-era power plant rules, arguing that climate regulations hurt jobs and economic growth.

How this contrasts with science

  • Major scientific bodies, including the IPCC and U.S. National Climate Assessment, have concluded that climate change is real, primarily driven by human greenhouse gas emissions, and poses serious risks to health, infrastructure, and economies.
  • These assessments directly contradict Trump’s framing of climate change as a “hoax,” “con job,” or merely overhyped problem, and emphasize that delaying emissions cuts increases long‑term damage and costs.

TL;DR: When people ask “what did Trump say about climate change,” the core answer is that he has framed it as a hoax or con, attacked climate agreements and renewable energy policies, and aligned his policies with expanded fossil fuel use, in direct opposition to the scientific consensus.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.