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---
description: Donald Trump&#x27;s campaign manager said that her candidate does not believe in man-made climate change following an exchange at the debate
title: Donald Trump Does Not Believe in Man-Made Climate Change
image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda50d147b753c165/6988a7a9a988cae1dd6b98bb/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-climate-change.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=3840&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;crop=16:9
---

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# Donald Trump Does Not Believe in Man-Made Climate Change, Campaign Manager Says


![Justin Worland](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltce43820e61634237/698a0e76457a527422d63fe7/TIME-JustinWorland.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

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[Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)


![Justin Worland](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltce43820e61634237/698a0e76457a527422d63fe7/TIME-JustinWorland.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Justin Worland


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Senior Correspondent

Sep 27, 2016 2:53 PM CUT

![donald trump hillary clinton climate change](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda50d147b753c165/6988a7a9a988cae1dd6b98bb/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-climate-change.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Republican nominee Donald Trump gestures as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton looks on during the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York on Sept. 26, 2016.

Republican nominee Donald Trump gestures as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton looks on during the first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York on Sept. 26, 2016.Timothy A. Clary—AFP/Getty Images

![Justin Worland](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltce43820e61634237/698a0e76457a527422d63fe7/TIME-JustinWorland.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)


![Justin Worland](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltce43820e61634237/698a0e76457a527422d63fe7/TIME-JustinWorland.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Justin Worland


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Senior Correspondent

Sep 27, 2016 2:53 PM CUT

Donald Trump’s campaign manager said Tuesday that her candidate does not believe in man-made climate change following a heated—and ambiguous—exchange on the issue at the first presidential debate.

“He believes that global warming is naturally occurring,” Kellyanne Conway [said on CNN](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/27/politics/donald-trump-climate-change-kellyanne-conway/index.html "undefined"). “There are shifts naturally occurring.”

Conway’s remark clarifies a remark from Trump during Monday’s debate. Hillary Clinton accused Trump of saying climate change was a “hoax perpetrated by the Chinese.” Trump responded saying, “I do not say that,” but he did not clarify exactly what part of Clinton’s comment he found objectionable.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the science of climate change and as recently as 2012 [called it a myth](https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/265895292191248385?lang=en "undefined") created by China. Throughout the campaign he has promised to gut U.S. efforts to address the issue.

> [](https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/265895292191248385)

Nearly all climate scientists agree that humans are contributing to climate change and urgent measures are needed to address it. Both candidates offered their views on how to address climate change—and other key science issues under presidential purview—in a [survey of science policy](http://time.com/4488824/trump-clinton-climate-change-space/ "undefined") earlier this month. In those answers, Trump dismissed global warming saying “there is still much that needs to be investigated” while Clinton outlined her plan.

A group of 375 leading scientists, including 30 Nobel laureates, [penned a letter](http://time.com/4502561/donald-trump-stephen-hawking-climate-change/ "undefined") criticizing Trump’s stance on climate change earlier this month.

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