Article 28 of the agreement enables parties to withdraw from the agreement after sending a withdrawal notification to the depositary, but notice can be given no earlier than three years after the agreement goes into force for the country. Withdrawal is effective one year after the depositary is notified. Alternatively, the Agreement stipulates that withdrawal from the UNFCCC, under which the Paris Agreement was adopted, would also withdraw the state from the Paris Agreement. The conditions for withdrawal from the UNFCCC are the same as for the Paris Agreement. On November 8, 2016, four days after the Paris Agreement
entered into force in the United States, Donald Trump of the
Republican Party was
elected President of the United States. Many conservative Republicans dispute the level of human involvement in climate change.
Trump rejects the scientific consensus on climate change and tweeted in 2012 that he believed the concept of global warming was created by China in order to impair American competitiveness. During
Trump's 2016 election campaign, Trump promised to revitalize the
coal industry, which he claimed has been hampered by environmental regulations. It has been argued that this contributed to the support he enjoyed from crucial
swing states. His opposition to climate change mitigation was unchanged in the first months of
his presidency, in which he issued an
executive order to reverse Obama's
Clean Power Plan and other environmental regulations. In April 2017, a group of 20
members of the European Parliament from the right-wing
Alternative for Germany,
UK Independence Party, and other parties sent a letter to Trump on urging him to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. On May 25, 2017, 22 Republican Senators, including Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell, sent a two-page letter to Trump urging him to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. The letter was drafted by Senator
John Barrasso, the chairman of the
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and Senator
Jim Inhofe, known for his longtime
climate change denial. Most of signatories to the letter were elected from states reliant on the burning of
fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas); During the
G7 summit in late May 2017, Trump was the only
G7 member not to reconfirm commitment to the Paris Agreement. German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, one of the other leaders present, was publicly unimpressed with Trump's refusal to cooperate on climate change mitigation, which was seen to damage
Germany–United States relations. The communique issued at the conclusion of the summit stated that the United States "is not in a position to join the consensus" of the other G7 countries on policies regarding climate change and the Paris Agreement.
Announcement on climate change in the
Rose Garden on June 1, 2017. , with "fact checks". In a televised announcement from the White House Rose Garden on June 1, 2017, Trump said, "In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect the United States and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord," adding "The bottom line is that the Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States." He said he was open to renegotiating the arrangement or negotiating a new one, but European and UN leaders said the pact "cannot be renegotiated at the request of a single party". Trump also criticized the
Green Climate Fund, calling it a scheme to redistribute wealth from rich to poor countries. The White House said that Trump would end the implementation of carbon reduction targets set by former President Barack Obama Examinations of Trump's speech by
The Washington Post and
The New York Times pointed to numerous fallacies, including, but not limited to, claims that the U.S., under the Paris Agreement, was forbidden to build coal power plants; that a difference of 0.2 degrees Celsius is insignificant in
climatology; that U.S. contributions to the Green Climate Fund were paid out of the U.S. defense budget; projections that the U.S. is on course to become the "cleanest" nation on earth; and Trump's reiterated claim of personal support for environmental causes.
Process In accordance with
Article 28 of the Paris Agreement, the United States could only file its notice of intent to withdraw no earlier than November 4, 2019, three years after the Agreement had come into effect, which would be effective one year later. Until the withdrawal took effect, the United States was obligated to maintain its commitments under the Agreement, including the requirement to continue reporting its emissions to the United Nations. According to a memo obtained by
HuffPost believed to be written by U.S. State Department legal office, any "attempts to withdraw from the Paris Agreement outside of the above-described withdrawal provisions would be inconsistent with international law and would not be accepted internationally." On August 4, 2017, the Trump administration formally outlined its intention of the withdrawal in an official notice delivered to the United Nations as depositary. In a separate statement, the State Department said it will continue participating in international climate change negotiations, including talks aimed at implementing the climate deal. The United States filed its intent to withdraw at the earliest possible date, on November 4, 2019. After the one-year period, on November 4, 2020, the U.S. formally withdrew from the Agreement, on the day following the
2020 U.S. presidential election but rejoined the agreement when President Biden took office. Luke Kemp of the
Australian National University's Fenner School of Environment and Society wrote in a commentary for
Nature that "withdrawal is unlikely to change US emissions" since "the greenhouse gas emissions of the US are divorced from international legal obligations." However, he added that it could hamper climate change mitigation efforts if the U.S. stopped contributing to the
Green Climate Fund. Kemp said the effect of a U.S. withdrawal could be either good or bad for the Paris agreement, since "a rogue US can cause more damage inside rather than outside of the agreement." Finally, "A withdrawal could also make the US into a climate pariah and provide a unique opportunity for China and the EU to take control of the climate regime and significantly boost their international reputations and
soft power." On the other hand there is belief that China is not capable of taking control of the climate regime and instead should, "help rebuild global shared leadership by replacing the Sino–U.S. G2 partnership with a Climate 5 (C5) partnership that comprises China, the EU, India, Brazil, and South Africa." Many of the larger auto and aviation companies had already invested billions into reducing emissions and were unlikely to change course.
General Motors, the largest automobile manufacturer in the United States, immediately pointed out: "Our position on climate change has not changed ... we publicly advocate for climate action," and reiterated its support for various climate pledges. Analyst Rebecca Lindland also pointed out that manufacturers of automobiles were under no specific restrictions under the Accord and that nothing had changed. Even if Trump loosened other restrictions on the car industry that allowed for the production of less environmental cars, such cars still needed to conform to standards before they could be exported to other continents or even certain states. Jason Bordoff, energy-policy expert at Columbia University, agreed that withdrawing would make no difference to the economy, arguing that it would be determined by market conditions like the price of oil and gas. At the same time, airlines have been spending billions on seeking more fuel efficient ways to fly anyway –fuel is an airline's second-biggest expense after labor and so using less fuel (which means less emissions) is in their financial interest. Kabir Nanda and Varad Pande, senior consultant and partner at Dahlberg, respectively, argued that despite the U.S. withdrawal the American private sector was still committed to renewable energy and technology. Also noted was that solar energy had become cheaper than coal in an increasing number of countries.
Rationale for withdrawal The Trump administration has justified its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement by stating concerns arose from structure of the Paris Agreement, economic concerns and political ideology. The Paris Agreement relies on international cooperation to ensure effectiveness in striving towards limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 °C. Countries were obliged to report their progress on the stages of achieving their nationally determined contributions (NDCs); however, no consequences would result, particularly for those countries that fail to achieve their targets. From the United States’ point of view, compliance with the Paris Agreement and its regulatory policies, such as carbon price and a shift to other energy substitutes, could hinder the development of the fossil fuel sectors in the United States, with a future projection of global fossil fuel usage to reduce one-third by 2040. In Trump’s speech, he commented on the Paris Agreement as “a financial and economic burden” imposed on the United States and cited meeting the Agreement commitments would reduce 38% iron and steel production and 86% production in the coal mining sectors respectively. Therefore, he expressed that the withdrawal was a necessary move to align with the focus of “America First” in his administration, which aimed at protecting the United States’ sovereignty and preventing profit losses in these sectors.
Scientists and environmentalists Piers Forster, the director of the
University of Leeds' Priestley International Centre for Climate, called the decision to withdraw "a sad day for
evidence-based policy" and expressed hope that individual Americans, businesses and states would nevertheless choose to
decarbonize. Climate scientist
Dave Reay of the
University of Edinburgh said that "The United States will come to rue this day." The
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), in a statement by its president
Antonio Busalacchi Jr., said that the decision to withdraw "does not mean that climate change will go away" and warned that "the heightened potential for increased greenhouse gas emissions poses a substantial threat to our communities, businesses, and military." The
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation called the decision to withdraw "very discouraging" and said that it would diminish confidence in international climate change efforts; the technology think tank called for federal efforts on "the smart grid, energy storage, carbon capture and sequestration, and advanced nuclear and solar power" and warned that "Without a smart, aggressive clean-energy innovation strategy, the world will not avert the worst effects of climate change." Canadian academic and environmental activist
David Suzuki stated, "Trump just passed on the best deal the planet has ever seen". Navroz Dubash of the
Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi expressed bafflement at Trump's move, citing the declining costs of renewable energy sources and the increasing difficulty of obtaining investment for fossil-fuel projects. Environmental scientist and risk assessor Dana Nuccitelli stated that it "now seems inevitable that the history books will view
Trump as America's worst-ever president".
Bob Ward of the
Grantham Research Institute also described Trump's speech as "confused nonsense".
Stephen Hawking criticized Trump, saying that he "will cause avoidable environmental damage to our beautiful planet, endangering the natural world, for us and our children." Multiple environmental groups, such as the
Sierra Club and
Natural Resources Defense Council, condemned Trump's decision. American environmentalist and writer
Bill McKibben, the founder of the climate change action group
350.org, called the move "a stupid and reckless decision—our nation's dumbest act since
launching the war in Iraq." McKibben wrote that Trump's decision to withdraw amounted "to a thorough repudiation of two of the civilizing forces on our planet: diplomacy and science." He called upon U.S. states and cities to "double down" on commitments to
renewable energy.
Domestic political response Republicans Republicans gave mixed reviews of Trump's decision to withdraw. Former vice president
Mike Pence stated that Trump administration "demonstrated real leadership" by pulling the United States out of the international accords which he called "a transfer of wealth from the most powerful economy in the world to other countries around the planet". He also stated that he doesn't understand why Democrats and
liberals in the United States and the
left around the world care about climate change. Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell,
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan,
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway and
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Scott Pruitt praised the decision as a victory for America's middle class, workers, businesses and coal miners.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton described Trump's decision as "courageous" and said that it lifted a burden from the American taxpayer. Former
Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a video address describing Trump's decision as a retrograde step. Former vice-president
Joe Biden said he believes the move imperils American security. Former Democratic Senator
Joe Manchin supported Trump's withdrawal, saying he supported "a cleaner energy future" but that the Paris deal failed to strike "a balance between our environment and the economy." In his withdrawal speech, President Trump stated: "I was elected to represent the citizens of
Pittsburgh, not Paris." The incumbent Mayor of Pittsburgh,
Bill Peduto, immediately acknowledged on Twitter with a reminder that 80% of his city's voters favored
Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, and wrote: "As the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy and future." Senate Democratic Leader
Chuck Schumer condemned the withdrawal.
U.S. states Responding the following week to the withdrawal, the governors of California,
New York, and Washington founded the
United States Climate Alliance, pledging to uphold the Paris Agreement within their borders. By the evening of June 1, 2017, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Oregon, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia declared their intention to join with United States Climate Alliance members in reaching Paris Agreement goals. Governors of other states also expressed interest in upholding the Agreement. As of November 2020 the alliance included 24 states plus
Puerto Rico and
American Samoa.
International response •
African Union – A joint statement with the
European Union reaffirmed the commitment of the 55 African nations to the Paris Agreement. • – President
Mauricio Macri was "deeply disappointed" by the withdrawal, and ratified the Argentine support to the treaty. • – Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull said that the decision was "disappointing" and that "we would prefer the United States to remain part of the agreement". The opposition
Australian Labor Party expressed similar sentiments. • – President
Alexander Van der Bellen said that U.S. president Donald Trump's decision to leave the Paris accord only challenges Europe to double its efforts in order to do everything possible to protect the planet and save it for future generations. • – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed concern regarding the announced withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change. • – Prime Minister
Charles Michel called the decision "a brutal act". • – The foreign ministry stated they are disappointed in Trump's decision. • – The federal ministries for foreign affairs and for the environment issued a joint statement describing their "profound concern and disappointment". • – President
Evo Morales called the U.S. one of the world's "main polluters" and at
The United Nations Ocean Conference said Trump's decision is akin to "denying science, turning your backs on multilateralism and attempting to deny a future to upcoming generations", making the U.S. the main threat to mother Earth and life itself. • – Minister Neno Dimov issued Bulgaria will honour the commitments under the Paris Agreement. • – A Cambodian official said U.S. president Donald Trump's decision to leave the Paris Climate Agreement is "unethical" and "irresponsible". • – Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau said he was "deeply disappointed" and that "Canada is unwavering in our commitment to fight climate change and support clean economic growth". Canada will "continue to work with the U.S. at the state level" and will reach out to the U.S. federal government to "discuss this matter of critical importance for all humankind". • – The minister pointed out the deep disappointment about the withdrawal in a joint statement. • –
Premier Li Keqiang reaffirmed his country's commitment to the Agreement. • – President
Juan Manuel Santos lamented the exit of the United States from the COP21 stating that "the survival of the world and humanity is at stake". Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Luis Gilberto Murillo expressed that Colombia was "saddened" by Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, stating that "Trump's decision increased Colombia's
vulnerability to climate change and will make it more difficult to advance toward an international goal to avoid an increase in global temperatures". • – Prime Minister
Henry Puna said the U.S. has isolated itself in the Pacific region in its actions on climate change. • – The Government said the withdraw could cause a setback on climate issues, because of President Trump's lack of understanding of U.S. responsibilities as one of the globe's leading sources of emissions. • – The
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy stated that achieving the Paris Agreement goals would become a bigger challenge. • – The Prime Minister said "This wrong decision by President Trump will weaken the Paris Agreement, but it will not destroy it. It is a shame that the US is isolating itself in a matter so important to the whole planet." • – Prime Minister
Lars Løkke Rasmussen described it as "a sad day for the world". • – Prime Minister
Jüri Ratas reaffirmed his nation's commitment to the Agreement. • – The
European Commission has stated that it "deeply regrets" the decision. • – President
Frank Bainimarama described the "loss of America's leadership" as "unfortunate". • – Prime Minister
Juha Sipilä urged Trump to show global leadership, stating that "we need the USA on the team". Minister of Environment
Kimmo Tiilikainen stated that the USA had never been "so small" and that the world does not need the kind of leadership that Donald Trump represents. • – In a telephone conversation with Trump, President
Emmanuel Macron described the agreement as non-negotiable. In a televised speech, Macron reiterated his invitation to American climate change and renewable energy scientists to relocate their work to France, concluding his assessment with the phrase: "Make our planet great again." Prior to the withdrawal, former President
Nicolas Sarkozy called for a tariff on all U.S. exports to Europe if Trump went through with the promised withdrawal.
National Front leader
Marine Le Pen appreciated Trump's commitment to his campaign pledge, but described his decision as "extremely regrettable." • –
Angela Merkel heavily criticized Trump's decision. • – Former President John Dramani Mahama has lashed out at Donald Trump over his decision. • – The minister pointed out the deep disappointment about the withdrawal in a joint statement. • – Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán stated that he was "in a state of shock" after hearing Trump's decision, and that it opposes the view of Hungary's right wing. • – The government 'condemned' the move. • – Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment,
Denis Naughten described the decision as "irresponsible" and that Ireland would continue its efforts to reach emissions targets and lead by example. Former President
Mary Robinson called it "truly shocking". • –
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India's support for the climate accord, and pledged to go 'above and beyond' its aims. • – Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Armanatha Nasir, said that "America's decision is not in line with international commitments. Indonesia believes that climate change requires cooperation and contribution of all parties, both developed and developing countries." • – First Vice President
Eshaq Jahangiri criticized Washington for pulling out of the Paris agreement, stressing that the U.S. is the main culprit behind producing greenhouse gases. "Trump has forgotten that the gases produced in the past few decades have endangered the life of not only the Americans but also all humankind," he added. • – Energy Minister
Yuval Steinitz criticized Trump for rejecting "a rare occurrence in which the world united". • –
Paolo Gentiloni expressed "regret" and sorrow for America's action. • – The Government and the Opposition expressed disappointment with the decision. • – In a statement, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said that Trump's choice was "regrettable" and that "Japan believes the leadership of the developed countries to be of great importance (on climate issues), and the steady implementation of the Paris Agreement is critical in this regard." The Minister of the Environment stated that he was "greatly disappointed, both as Minister and as an individual", and that withdrawal from the Paris Agreement was an act that "turned its back on the wisdom of the human race". The Deputy Prime Minister said "The U.S. created the
League of Nations, but this country did not join the League. The U.S. is just that kind of country." • – The Minister of Foreign Affairs pledged to carry forward the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030. The
Astana Expo 2017's theme was "Future Energy". • –
Anote Tong, the former president and one of the prominent Pacific voices during the Paris agreement negotiations, said Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement is a selfish move that ignores the plight of low-lying island nations. • – The Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry issued a statement confirming Latvia's commitment to the Paris Agreement and describing the negative impact Trump's decision may have on investment in clean energy among developing nations. • – The Minister of Foreign Affairs regrets Trump's decision and decided to ratify the Paris Agreement. • – Wants to increase contributions to climate change body. • – The Ministry is confident that the Paris Agreement on Climate Change will not fail despite the United States having announced its withdrawal from the treaty. • – Environment Minister
Thoriq Ibrahim, speaking on behalf of the
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), defended the agreement as "designed for maximum flexibility and universal participation", adding that Trump's proposed renegotiation was "not practical" and that it could represent "a setback from which we would never recover". • – President
Hilda Heine described the move as "highly concerning for those of us that live on the frontline of climate change". • – COP22's president and former Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs
Salaheddine Mezouar has expressed his "deep disappointment" but noted that collective efforts to fight climate change will continue. • – Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta says Namibia is saddened by the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Change Agreement, describing the move as a major blow to the efforts to tackle global warming. • – Nepali Youth and Mountain Community Dwellers appealed to U.S. president Donald Trump to take back his decision. • – Prime Minister
Bill English released a statement confirming that he will register his 'disappointment' with
Rex Tillerson during an upcoming visit by the U.S. Secretary of State. • – The Government has expressed disappointment over the decision of the United States. • – The foreign ministry has condemned President Donald Trump for pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, describing the decision as "the height of egotism" and an example of the "moral vacuum" in the U.S. leadership. • – The government condemned Trump's decision. • – In a statement, the climate body said the Philippines is "deeply troubled" by the withdrawal of the U.S. from the agreement and urged Trump to reconsider his decision. • – Deputy Energy Minister
Grzegorz Tobiszowski praised Trump's decision, while signing an agreement for a new coal power station in
Jaworzno. During a visit to an
elementary school, Prime Minister
António Costa commented "it is a shame that President Trump did not attend this school and does not know what these children already know... that we only have one planet and that our first duty is to preserve it for future generations". • – The Foreign Affairs Minister ratified the Paris Agreement the same day. • – In advance of Trump's expected withdrawal announcement, Kremlin spokesman
Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia's support for the Paris agreement. After the withdrawal, when questioned by media sources about his views of the decision Putin stated "don't worry, be happy". He noted that since the non-binding agreement is not set to take effect until 2021, he believes there is plenty of time to create a working solution to global warming. • – The government reaffirmed the commitment to Paris climate agreement. • – The government regretted the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. • – The South African government stated that it "expresses its profound regret over the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris Agreement." • – The Foreign Ministry for South Korea described Trump's move as 'regrettable'. • – Lutana, South Sudan's climate change director said 'He should know that his pulling out won't stop people from continuing to work on it.' • – The minister pointed out the deep disappointment about the withdrawal in a joint statement. • – Foreign Minister
Margot Wallström described it as "a decision to leave humanity's last chance of securing our children's future on this planet". • – The Presidential Office efforts to continue the Paris agreement despite Trump's climate decision. • – The Vice President said Tanzania will continue supporting the agreement. • – Mehmet Emin Birpınar, Turkey's chief climate negotiator, expressed hope that other countries will not follow Trump, and affirmed Turkey's commitment despite the agreement's "unfairness". • – Prime Minister
Enele Sopoaga said that the U.S. had "abandoned" them. • – Nicholas Ssenyonjo said "the US is the biggest contributor to pollution globally. Pulling out of the Paris agreement means that they do not care about the effects of their pollution to third world countries like Uganda." • – Marashi, the chairperson of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), said that Trump's decision is "unfortunate". • – A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General
António Guterres described Trump's decision as "a major disappointment". • – Prime Minister
Theresa May expressed her disappointment during a telephone call with Trump, and reaffirmed the United Kingdom's commitment to the agreement. •
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saw it as an "appalling abdication of leadership" that May's signature was lacking from a joint declaration by the leaders of Germany, France and Italy. • – The Minister for Housing, Land Planning & Environment pointed out the deep disappointment about the withdrawal in a joint statement. • – The Zambian minister for Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection, Lloyd Kaziya, described the withdrawal as "a serious tragedy" to developing countries. • – Zhakata said Zimbabwe remained committed to the treaty, but the U.S. withdrawal will make it more difficult for the country.
Business and industry The
American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity and
Peabody Energy, the largest listed coal producer in the United States, applauded the decision, claiming the result will be lower energy prices and greater reliability of supply. On the day of Trump's predicted withdrawal, 25 companies placed a full-page open letter to President Trump in
The New York Times and
The Wall Street Journal, encouraging the administration to keep the U.S. in the Paris Agreement. The companies were: •
Adobe •
Apple •
Blue Cross Blue Shield •
Danfoss •
Dignity Health •
Facebook •
Gap •
Google •
The Hartford •
Hewlett Packard Enterprise •
Ingersoll Rand •
Intel •
Johnson Controls •
Levi Strauss & Co. •
Mars •
Microsoft •
Morgan Stanley •
National Grid •
PG&E •
Royal DSM •
Salesforce.com •
Schneider Electric •
Tiffany & Co. •
Unilever •
VF Following Trump's announcement,
ExxonMobil,
Chevron,
Shell and
General Motors reaffirmed their support for the Paris Agreement and for measures to tackle climate change.
Michael Bloomberg pledged $15 million to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretariat, explaining: "Americans will honor and fulfill the Paris Agreement by leading from the bottom up—and there isn't anything Washington can do to stop us". Shortly following Trump's announcement, thirty city mayors, three state governors, more than eighty university presidents and the leaders of more than a hundred businesses joined Bloomberg in opening negotiations with the United Nations to submit a plan for limiting American climate-change emissions in accord with the Paris Agreement guidelines.
Goldman Sachs CEO
Lloyd Blankfein described Trump's decision as "a setback for the environment and for the U.S.'s leadership position in the world". Microsoft's
Satya Nadella said Microsoft believes that "climate change is an urgent issue that demands global action." Google's
Sundar Pichai tweeted "Disappointed with today's decision. Google will keep working hard for a cleaner, more prosperous future for all". Facebook's
Mark Zuckerberg said "Withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement is bad for the environment, bad for the economy, and it puts our children's future at risk."
Resignations from presidential advisory boards in protest Two business leaders resigned from Trump advisory boards in protest to his decision to withdraw.
Elon Musk, CEO of
Tesla, Inc. and
SpaceX, resigned from the two presidential advisory councils on which he had sat. Musk stated: "Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world."
Robert Iger, CEO of
The Walt Disney Company, also resigned, saying "As a matter of principle, I've resigned from the President's Council over the Paris Agreement withdrawal."
U.S. public opinion The Paris Agreement is broadly popular among Americans. Similar, a November 2016 poll conducted by the
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that 69 percent of U.S. registered voters favored U.S. participation in the Paris Agreement, while just 13 percent were opposed. Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the accord was seen as an attempt to appeal to his
base, even at the risk of alienating Democrats and independent voters. This strategy diverged from the typical approach taken by most U.S. presidents, who historically have sought to appeal to the center. The poll showed a sharp division among partisan lines: 67 percent of Republicans supported Trump's decision, but just 22 percent of
independents and 8 percent of Democrats supported it.
The New York Times called it "disgraceful" and stated that Trump "knows nothing or cares little about the science underlying the stark warnings of environmental disruption." For their edition of June 2, 2017, the
New York Daily News revived their famous 1975 "
Ford to City: Drop Dead" cover with a photo of Trump and the words "Trump to World: Drop Dead". The
Tampa Bay Times criticized the move, writing that it would especially endanger coastal states such as Florida, which are already suffering from
rising sea levels, which damage property and infrastructure and harm the drinking water supply. The
Detroit Free Press stated that "President Donald Trump has betrayed the future of our children, our grandchildren, and our planet".
The San Diego Union-Tribune stated that "President Trump is ushering in the
Chinese Century" and called it the worst decision of Trump's life. A piece by commentator
Erick Erickson published by
Fox News described the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement as the correct move, for the reason that "climate change is [not] an issue worth caring much about".
Douglas E. Schoen, also writing for Fox, contrarily said that a withdrawal from the Paris Agreement "only hastens America's retreat from global political and economic leadership".
Foreign Foreign coverage of Trump's announcement was overwhelmingly unfavorable. A lead in the British newspaper
The Guardian said that the decision would be unlikely to stunt the growth of renewable energy, and suggested that "a much more likely casualty of Trump's choice is the US economy he claims to be protecting". The British newspaper
The Independent noted the "tension between myth and reality" in Trump's withdrawal speech. The German tabloid
Berliner Kurier ran a headline "Erde an Trump: Fuck You!" ("Earth to Trump: Fuck You!"). China's
Xinhua state news agency called the withdrawal a "global setback." The
Toronto Star said that In the long catalogue of destructive things that Donald Trump has inflicted on the United States and the world, pulling out of the most important global attempt to slow the impact of climate change must go down as the worst.
Protests Protesters gathered at the White House gates on the day of the announcement.
Bill Nye, a
science communicator and television personality known for making scientific concepts more accessible to the general public, was one of the protesters in attendance. The
John A. Wilson Building in D.C. was lit in green in protest of the decision, as were
One World Trade Center and the
Kosciuszko Bridge in New York City; the city halls of
New York,
Boston and
Montreal; the
Hôtel de Ville in Paris; and the
Monumento a la Revolución and the
Angel of Independence in Mexico City. Protests also occurred in
New York City,
Miami,
San Diego, and
Syracuse. ==Rejoining==