Repeatedly calls climate change a "HOAX" during polar vortex cold snap

During the January 2014 polar vortex that brought record cold temperatures to the U.S., Trump tweeted multiple times calling climate change a hoax. On January 25, he tweeted: "NBC News just called it the great freeze - coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?" On January 29, he added: "The weather has been so cold for so long that the global warming HOAXSTERS were forced to change the name to climate change to keep $ flow!" These tweets exemplified Trump's fundamental misunderstanding of the difference between weather (short-term conditions) and climate (long-term patterns). Scientists at the time were actually explaining how climate change could intensify polar vortex events by weakening the jet stream. Trump's tweets spread climate denial misinformation to millions of followers and established a pattern he would continue as president—using cold weather events to deny climate science despite overwhelming scientific consensus.

"NBC News just called it the great freeze - coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?" — January 25, 2014 tweet during polar vortex cold snap