Dismisses climate science at California wildfire briefing: "I don't think science knows"

At a wildfire briefing in McClellan Park, California, as record fires burned across the West Coast, Trump rejected the role of climate change when pressed by state officials. After California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot urged attendees not to ignore the warming climate, Trump replied, "It'll start getting cooler. You just watch," and when Crowfoot answered, "I wish science agreed with you," Trump said, "Well, I don't think science knows, actually." He attributed the fires primarily to state forest-management failures. Fact-checkers noted the exchange contradicted the scientific consensus that warming is intensifying western fire seasons.

"Well, I don't think science knows, actually." Quote verified against source