Trump Falsely Claims UN Climate Body Admitted RCP8.5 Scenario Was 'Wrong'

President Trump posted on Truth Social claiming that the United Nations' 'TOP Climate Committee just admitted that its own projections (RCP8.5) were WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!' and declared 'GOOD RIDDANCE.' Multiple fact-checkers confirmed this was false: the IPCC does not develop climate scenarios, and scientists have not rejected RCP8.5 but continue to use it as a worst-case benchmark for risk analysis. The scenario was never intended as a prediction or likely outcome, but rather as a tool to explore potential future climates. Trump's post distorted recent scientific updates that found RCP8.5 less plausible given current trends, misrepresenting this as an admission of error rather than normal scientific refinement. The false claim appeared to provide rhetorical cover for ongoing environmental policy rollbacks.

"the United Nations TOP Climate Committee just admitted that its own projections (RCP8.5) were WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!" — Posted to Truth Social on May 19, 2026, following recent scientific publications updating climate scenario assessments