Democrats in both houses of Congress piled on President Trump on Thursday night after he suggested the northeastern U.S. could use some “global warming” to help recover from cold temperatures.
In his tweet earlier Thursday evening, Trump also incorrectly asserted that the U.S. would be the only country to contribute money to a climate fund under the Paris agreement, which Trump pledged to exit in June.
The tweet sparked rebuke from several Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who tweeted that the U.S. has a “moral obligation” to combat climate change.
Warren was joined by fellow Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). Harris tweeted that local governments must confront climate issues while the administration won’t, while Whitehouse implored the president to read a report on climate change produced by his own administration.
The tweet also drew jabs from several Democrats, including Reps. Ted Lieu (Calif.) and Kathleen Rice (N.Y.) and Pramila Jayapal (Wash.). Rice was the sharpest with her criticism, accusing the president of tweeting “like a child.”
Virginia Rep. Don Beyer (D), meanwhile, pointed out that Trump erroneously referred to the amount the U.S. would pay under the Paris agreement as “trillions” of dollars, accusing Trump of not understanding the deal he has often criticized. Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan (D) coined a nickname for Trump over the affair, “Denying Donald.”
The tweet also drew criticism from former Democratic National Committee chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), who praised local efforts in Broward County, Florida, to protect the state from the effects of climate change.