Democrats say Trump's climate rollbacks 'corruption in action'

Source: The Hill

02/15/26 6:00 AM ET


Democrats are linking President Trump’s unraveling of climate change regulations to a larger story about corruption, a midterm argument they think could hurt Republicans in the battles for the House and Senate this fall.

While climate change itself may not be an issue driving most voters to the polls, Democrats are seeking to make a broader case about Trump’s ties to powerful interests. Asked his thoughts on the state of U.S. climate policy, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) was succinct. “Corrupted,” he told The Hill.

The latest battlefront is Trump’s repeal of the endangerment finding, the landmark legal finding that climate change is a threat to the public. The finding also underpins the nation’s climate rules, particularly rules for cars and trucks that Trump wiped out Thursday along with the finding.

While Democrats have long-sought to paint Trump as corrupt, including on climate, it’s an issue that has become increasingly cross-cutting in recent weeks amid the controversy over Trump’s ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and the president’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service seeking $10 billion in taxpayer money.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5738260-democrats-trump-climate-big-oil-endangerment-finding/