How Trump Lost the War on Climate—to China

In this critical decade, Washington is ceding the field entirely.

Farmers pose with a Chinese national flag made from chili peppers and corn on Longquan mountain in Lishui in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Sept. 26, 2018. August 6, 2025, 6:00 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Trump’s Second Term

Ongoing reports and analysis

In April 2024, U.S. President Donald Trump convened a group of oil and gas executives at Mar‑a‑Lago. According to multiple accounts, he offered them what he called “a deal”: donate $1 billion to his reelection campaign, and the second Trump administration would dismantle U.S. climate policy.

The fossil fuel industry delivered plenty of cash, although untraceable dark money makes a full accounting impossi

See Full Page