De Blasio contradicts Trump on Paris deal at G20 protest

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Saturday pushed back on President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accords, noting that some U.S. cities plan to honor the agreement despite Trump’s decision.

“American cities are signed on to the Paris Accords. We will do it ourselves,” de Blasio said, according to a spokesman who was tweeting his speech at the “Hamburg Zeigt Haltung” rally. 

On climate change…”American cities are signed on to the Paris Accords. We will do it ourselves.” https://t.co/IlLarUEhjK

— Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips) July 8, 2017

De Blasio is in Germany for events surrounding the Group of 20 summit, where Trump and other world leaders have gathered to address topics including climate change. 

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Every member of the global group except the U.S. reaffirmed the agreement during this week’s summit, according to The Associated Press.

De Blasio signed an executive order in June reaffirming New York City’s commitment to the agreement.

“We here in New York City are shocked at the development this week in Washington, D.C., to see the president of the United States pull out of the Paris accord and literally set this nation, and the whole globe, on the path of denial,” he said.

The New York City mayor is one of 347 U.S. mayors to uphold the climate agreement, according to the group Climate Mayors.

Trump said he made the decision to pull the U.S. from the nearly 200 nation deal in order to protect jobs.

“The Paris climate accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving American workers — who I love — and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories, and vastly diminished economic production,” he said in June.

Prominent critics have spoken out against the decision, including former President Barack Obama, who said Trump’s rejection of the deal means “a small handful of nations that reject the future.”