--- title: Leonardo DiCaprio Met Donald Trump. Here's What Happened description: The 'Revenant' actor sat down with John Kerry at the Yale Climate Conference to discuss the administration's stance on climate change. canonical: https://time.com/4951684/leo-dicaprio-donald-trump/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-21T16:28:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T03:24:34.000Z og:title: Leonardo DiCaprio Explains What Happened When He Met Donald Trump og:description: "We should not have people in office who do not believe in facts" og:url: https://time.com/4951684/leo-dicaprio-donald-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt98023288d177833b/6988decc7cdbac82d9d5a208/leo-dicaprio.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation 4th Annual Saint-Tropez Gala - Dinner & Auction og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Leonardo DiCaprio Explains What Happened When He Met Donald Trump twitter:description: "We should not have people in office who do not believe in facts" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt98023288d177833b/6988decc7cdbac82d9d5a208/leo-dicaprio.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Leonardo DiCaprio Explains What Happened When He Met Donald Trump > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=b40ebe2f-229c-4d64-a318-5808b0f7bbfa&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Leonardo DiCaprio Talks With John Kerry About America's Future And Climate Change [Watch (HLS stream): Leonardo DiCaprio Talks With John Kerry About America's Future And Climate Change](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BNiVcH9W.m3u8) (2:23)  _Published 2017-09-21. This week, Leonardo DiCaprio is flexing his voice on climate change. He took a break from the mean streets of New York City to stop by the Yale Climate Conference at the Ivy League university's New Haven campus._  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:24 AM UTCPublished: Sep 21, 2017 4:28 PM UTC This week, Leonardo DiCaprio is flexing his voice on climate change. He took a break from the mean streets of New York City to stop by the Yale Climate Conference at the Ivy League university's New Haven campus.  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Updated: Dec 13, 2023 3:24 AM UTCPublished: Sep 21, 2017 4:28 PM UTC This week, Leonardo DiCaprio is [flexing his voice on climate change](http://time.com/4761810/leo-dicaprio-climate-march/). He took a break from the mean streets of New York City to stop by the [Yale Climate Conference](http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2017/09/21/inaugural-kerry-conference-discusses-climate-change/) at the Ivy League university’s New Haven campus, appearing onstage on Tuesday for a discussion with former Secretary of State and event host John Kerry. The [_Revenant_ actor](http://time.com/4174724/golden-globes-leonardo-dicaprio-revenant/) and [_Before the Flood_ producer](http://time.com/4511153/trailer-leonardo-dicaprio-documentary-before-the-flood/) drew a substantial crowd of 2,500\. He made pointed statements about the current administration’s stance on climate change, and recalled his attempt to sway Donald Trump when he visited Trump, who was then President-elect, at Trump Tower back in December. “We presented him with a comprehensive plan to tackle climate change, while also simultaneously harnessing the economic potential of green jobs,” DiCaprio recalled, in remarks reported by [the Hartford _Courant_](http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-yale-climate-change-conference-20170919-story.html). “We talked about how the United States has the potential to lead the world in clean-energy manufacturing and research and development.” But DiCaprio’s efforts proved in vain: Trump subsequently said the U.S. would pull out of the [Paris Agreement](http://www.thedrive.com/opinion/11066/president-trump-dumps-paris-climate-agreement) and appointed [Scott Pruitt](http://time.com/4842380/scott-pruitt-epa-climate-science/) to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. “We should not have people in office who do not believe in facts and truths and modern science that are able to manipulate and risk the entire future of this entire generation,” DiCaprio said. “We are at that turning point right now, and we are going to look back at this point in history, and frankly this administration, and certain people are going to be vilified for not taking action. They really are. And it’s up to this generation, it’s up to all of you to get involved and make a difference.” The star also announced he plans to donate a $20 million grant from his foundation to environmental causes. “We are proud to support the work of over 100 organizations at home and abroad,” the actor said. ## Transcript [00:00] We should not have people in office that do not believe [00:04] in facts, in truths, in modern science [00:10] that are able to manipulate and risk the entire future [00:15] of this entire generation. So you know the more I've [00:18] learned about this issue the more I've become. [00:20] Terrified to tell you the truth. I'm doing a new [00:22] documentary about methane. You've done so much [00:27] work on oceans, the protection of our oceans, the [00:31] health of our oceans, the fact that so much of this [00:34] carbon is being absorbed [ INAUDIBLE ] the oceans. [00:36] We're actually not even seeing on land the ramifications [00:40] of the amount of carbon that we're emitting in the [00:43] atmosphere. Because, the oceans are absorbing so [00:46] much of it. And they're at capacity now. So, [00:50] I'm really scared. We're at that turning point right now. [00:54] And we're gonna look back at this moment, In history [00:56] and frankly this administration and certain people are [01:00] gonna be vilified for not taking action. They really are. [01:05] And it's up to this generation, it's up to all of you to [01:08] really get involved and make a difference because as I [01:12] said in the documentary, what I saw in my travels [01:15] absolutely terrified me. It was terrifying. Being [01:20] on this sort of campaign so to speak for global [01:23] warming climate change, you realize the amazing [01:27] inaction that this country has taken. You go to [01:30] anywhere else in the world, there is no argument about [01:34] climate change. There is no argument. People accept it [01:38] as a fact. This is the only country in the world where [01:40] we have a political party that argues what is now [01:43] basically scientific fact. I mean it's like arguing [01:48] whether gravity exists or not. When President Trump [01:51] says to the people of the United States, I'm pulling out [01:54] of Paris. Because Paris places an undue burden on the [01:58] United States of America. My friends, the President of [02:02] the United States is not telling America the truth. That's [02:06] just not true. It doesn't place any burden on [02:10] the United States. It only places what we [02:14] agreed, as Americans, we are capable of doing. 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