WASHINGTON D.C January 23, 2026 – President Donald J. Trump reignited debate over climate change on Friday, questioning the existence of global warming in light of a severe cold wave forecasted to impact over 40 states. In a post shared via the official White House X account, Trump wrote: “Record Cold Wave expected to hit 40 States. Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain — WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???” The statement, attributed directly to the president, comes as a sprawling winter storm—dubbed Winter Storm Fern by meteorologists—blankets much of the nation with heavy snow, ice, and subzero temperatures, affecting more than 230 million people from the Rockies to the East Coast.
The storm, which began intensifying in the southern Plains on Friday, is expected to deliver a mix of hazards including damaging ice accumulations in the South, heavy snowfall in the Midwest and Northeast, and wind chills as low as 40 to 50 degrees below zero in parts of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest. At least 14 states and Washington, D.C., have declared states of emergency, with warnings of prolonged power outages, travel disruptions, and life-threatening conditions. Forecasters from the National Weather Service predict the system will stretch over 2,000 miles, marking one of the largest winter events in recent years, though not entirely unprecedented. Communities from Texas to New York could see record-low high temperatures, with rapid temperature drops—such as Dallas experiencing a 40-degree plunge in apparent temperature over two days.
Trump’s post, which has garnered over 1.2 million views and thousands of replies, echoes his long-standing skepticism toward climate science. During his first term, he famously referred to global warming as a “hoax” and withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate accord—a move opposed by 62% of Americans according to polls. Supporters of the president praised the remark, with some conservative commentators and X users arguing it exposes flaws in climate alarmism. One post from a pro-Trump account suggested the cold snap proves global warming is overstated, while another implied weather manipulation by global elites as the true cause. Fox News highlighted Trump’s mockery, framing it as a jab at “environmental insurrectionists” amid the storm’s impacts.
Critics, however, were quick to counter that isolated cold events do not negate long-term global warming trends. Climate scientists explain that climate change disrupts weather patterns, including the polar vortex, which can push Arctic air southward and cause more frequent extreme cold snaps in certain regions. “Global warming is doing just fine,” noted Jakub Wiech, an analyst, pointing out that 2025 was the third-warmest year on record, following 2023 and 2024, according to NASA data. Fact-checks from outlets like the Associated Press emphasized that while the current storm is severe, it falls short of historical records in cities like Minneapolis and Chicago, where past lows were far colder. Replies to the White House post largely condemned the statement as ignorant, with users distinguishing between short-term weather and long-term climate patterns: “One cold snap. Weather. Centuries of cold snaps. Climate.”
Public opinion remains divided but leans against Trump’s views. Recent polls show 57% of Americans disapprove of his handling of climate issues, with only 29% approving— a wider gap than on other topics. Exit polls from the 2020 election indicated that 84% of Trump voters downplayed global warming as an issue. Environmental groups and Democrats accused the administration of using the storm to distract from plans to roll back climate regulations.
As the storm progresses into the weekend, experts urge residents to heed warnings, with frostbite possible in as little as 5-10 minutes in the most affected areas. The event underscores the increasing volatility of weather systems, which scientists attribute to ongoing climate change despite occasional cold outbreaks.
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