Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) criticized President Donald Trump's approach to climate change on Thursday, pointing to record-breaking temperatures and severe heatwaves across the United States and Europe. In a post on X, Sanders highlighted that the last eleven years have been the hottest on record, with Europe experiencing a heatwave that set all-time records in seven countries and resulted in over 10,000 deaths. He noted that the Western US saw its warmest winter on record, while the country faced its worst spring drought in recorded history, exposing hundreds of millions of Americans to dangerous heat levels.

Sanders linked these extreme weather events to climate change, dismissing claims that it is a hoax. He pointed to wildfires in Canada and the US, which have led to poor air quality in cities like Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago. "Climate change is not a hoax. It is reality," Sanders stated, emphasizing the tangible impacts of rising global temperatures.

The Vermont Independent reiterated his criticism of Trump's policies, accusing the President of favoring oil companies and prioritizing short-term profits for his "billionaire friends in Big Oil" over the future of America's youth. Sanders urged the public to reject what he termed "Trump's lies" about the climate crisis and the "greed of the fossil fuel industry." He advocated for a transition to clean energy, arguing that it would cut carbon emissions, reduce energy bills, and create millions of union jobs.

A report by the BlueGreen Alliance, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit, highlighted the economic impact of the Trump administration's anti-clean-energy stance. The report cited nearly $83 billion in losses to the clean-energy, manufacturing, and industrial sectors due to policy delays and cancellations. Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom launched the MyFirstEV program, offering discounts to encourage electric vehicle adoption as part of broader efforts to combat climate change.