Trump: Polar ice caps are ‘at a record level’

President Trump in a new interview again pushed back on claims of global warming, stating that polar ice caps have hit “a record level,” according to reports.

“The ice caps were going to melt, they were going to be gone by now, but now they’re setting records. They’re at a record level,” Trump told British television host Piers Morgan in an interview set to air Sunday night on ITV News.

Trump also reportedly appeared to lump global warming and climate change together. {mosads} 

“I mean, look, it used to not be climate change. It used to be global warming. That wasn’t working too well because it was getting too cold all over the place,” Trump said. 

While the two are connected, they have separate meanings.

Global warming refers to rising temperatures across the Earth’s surface due to the widespread use of fossil fuels, according to NASA.

On the other hand, according to NASA, climate change refers to “a broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels.” Global warming is one factor considered when assessing a changing climate, as well as changes such as the rise in sea levels, ice mass loss and other indicators. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said 2017 was one of the planet’s warmest years on record.

A NASA report last year found that the sea ice extent on both poles had reached the lowest levels since the data began to be recorded in 1979. 

Trump has repeatedly voiced skepticism about climate change.

Last month, Trump appeared to question global warming as a result of heavy snowfall. 

“In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!” Trump tweeted.