--- title: Trump Mocks Climate Change After DoD Releases Climate Report description: Trump mocked climate change days after the Defense Department released a report outlining the effects of climate change on operations. canonical: https://time.com/5508259/trump-climate-change-defense-department/ author: Alejandro de la Garza article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-01-20T21:03:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T22:33:09.565Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Renews Climate Change Denial Days After Defense Department Releases Daunting Report on Its Effects og:description: The report stresses "significant vulnerabilities" the military faces from "climate-related events" og:url: https://time.com/5508259/trump-climate-change-defense-department/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c7807544a0c7ccc/698943aa8fd2ee246835da09/climate-report-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Climate Marches Take Place Across Country og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Renews Climate Change Denial Days After Defense Department Releases Daunting Report on Its Effects twitter:description: The report stresses "significant vulnerabilities" the military faces from "climate-related events" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c7807544a0c7ccc/698943aa8fd2ee246835da09/climate-report-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump Renews Climate Change Denial Days After Defense Department Releases Daunting Report on Its Effects > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ba8e410c-d364-43e6-9841-01f19f620f9a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ba8e410c-d364-43e6-9841-01f19f620f9a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=ba8e410c-d364-43e6-9841-01f19f620f9a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Alejandro de la Garza](https://time.com/author/alejandro-de-la-garza/)  ## Alejandro de la Garza Jan 20, 2019 9:03 PM UTC  Protesters march near the White House during the Peoples Climate Movement in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 2017 Protesters march near the White House during the Peoples Climate Movement in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 2017 Getty Images  by [Alejandro de la Garza](https://time.com/author/alejandro-de-la-garza/)  ## Alejandro de la Garza Jan 20, 2019 9:03 PM UTC President Donald Trump mocked climate change again on Sunday, just days after the Department of Defense released a [report](https://media.defense.gov/2019/Jan/18/2002081124/-1/-1/1/FINAL-CLIMATE-REPORT.PDF) outlining the effects of climate change on its operations. Referring to the [major winter storm](http://time.com/5508155/major-winter-storm-united-states/) that has brought frigid temperatures and snow to large parts of the U.S., the President tweeted, “Wouldn’t be bad to have a little of that good old fashioned Global Warming right now!” > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1086971499725160448) Trump’s denial of the overwhelming consensus of climate scientists comes just 10 days after his own Defense Department released the 22-page report, which assessed “significant vulnerabilities” the military faces from “climate-related events.” The report specifically focused on the vulnerabilities 79 military installations face over the next 20 years due to the effects of climate change, which include recurrent flooding, drought, wildfires and thawing permafrost. It also noted cases where locations considered not currently vulnerable would likely be vulnerable in the future. Additionally, the report said that “projected changes will likely be more pronounced at the mid-century mark; vulnerability analyses to mid- and late-century would likely reveal an uptick in vulnerabilities.” The report is not the first time that the President’s dismissive view of climate change has been directly contradicted by evidence released by the Executive Branch. In November 2017, the Trump administration released a [scientific report](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/11/03/trump-administration-releases-report-finds-no-convincing-alternative-explanation-for-climate-change/?utm%5Fterm=.8047eb834e89) that stated that human activity was the dominant driver of climate change. And last November, his administration released [the National Climate Assessment](https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/), which stated that climate change threatens “the health and wellbeing of the American people.” Through his candidacy and presidency, Trump has routinely dismissed climate change, calling it a “hoax.” > [](https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/408977616926830592) Experts, including [climate scientists at NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/mission%5Fpages/noaa-n/climate/climate%5Fweather.html), routinely stress the importance of the distinction between weather and climate, which Trump conflates in his tweet. Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions over a short period of time, while climate refers to long-term atmospheric patterns. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5508259/trump-climate-change-defense-department/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5508259/trump-climate-change-defense-department/"},"headline":"President Trump Renews Climate Change Denial Days After Defense Department Releases Daunting Report on Its Effects","datePublished":"2019-01-20T21:03:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T22:33:09.565Z","description":"The report stresses \"significant vulnerabilities\" the military faces from \"climate-related events\"","url":"https://time.com/5508259/trump-climate-change-defense-department/","keywords":["White House","climate change","Department of Defense","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c7807544a0c7ccc/698943aa8fd2ee246835da09/climate-report-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alejandro de la Garza","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alejandro-de-la-garza/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8c7807544a0c7ccc/698943aa8fd2ee246835da09/climate-report-trump.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Climate Marches Take Place Across Country","caption":"Climate Marches Take Place Across Country","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/white-house/","name":"White House"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5508259/trump-climate-change-defense-department/","name":"President Trump Renews Climate Change Denial Days After Defense Department Releases Daunting Report on Its Effects"}}]}] ```