$1 billion: Trump's aggressive campaign for oil industry funds revealed

$1 billion: Trump's aggressive campaign for oil industry funds revealed

Donald Trump's recent engagement with top oil executives at Mar-a-Lago showcases a bid for campaign funding in exchange for regulatory rollbacks.

Josh Dawsey and Maxine Joselow report for The Washington Post.


In short:

  • Trump promised oil industry leaders substantial regulatory rollbacks in exchange for significant campaign contributions.
  • This fundraising strategy highlights a direct linkage between financial support and policy promises aimed at benefiting the oil industry.
  • The former president's agenda starkly contrasts with existing environmental policies, suggesting major policy reversals if re-elected.

Key quote:

"You all are wealthy enough, you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House."

— Donald Trump, former U.S. president

Why this matters:

If he's elected in November, Trump's promises to the oil industry could result in the reversal of key U.S. environmental and health policies enacted during the Biden administration, potentially eroding gains in emissions reductions, clean energy advancements and environmental justice.

Flashback to 2020: Trump's first term resulted in significant environmental rollbacks. Here are a few of them.

A ship and an oil platform close together in the sea.
Credit: Alan Bruce/Flickr

A cargo ship collision in the North Sea raises fears of toxic contamination

A shipping disaster in the North Sea has sparked fears of an environmental catastrophe after a cargo vessel carrying sodium cyanide collided with a fuel tanker, raising concerns about toxic leaks into vital marine ecosystems.

Madeleine Cuff reports for New Scientist.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
U.S. Supreme Court bathed in evening sunlight.
Credit: Adam Fagen/Flickr

US Supreme Court clears way for climate lawsuits against Big Oil

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge from Republican-led states that sought to block lawsuits holding fossil fuel companies accountable for their role in climate change.

Austyn Gaffney reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
The facade of the White House in Washington DC bathed in early morning sunlight.

Trump administration withdraws from two major global climate programs

The United States has pulled out of two key international climate finance initiatives, limiting support for developing nations facing climate disasters and slowing efforts to transition away from coal.

Chico Harlan reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
A pile of old discarded clothing in a waste heap with the sun peeking out from behind.
Credit: Photothèque AT/Flickr

Where fast fashion’s cast-offs really end up

Think your old clothes find a new home after you drop them in a donation bin? Think again. An investigation tracking 15 geolocated garments reveals a global trade that buries the Global South in textile waste, feeding pollution, exploitation, and an unsustainable fashion industry.

Ana Carbajosa, Patricia R. Blanco, and Beatriz Lecumberri report for El País.

Keep reading...Show less
A graphic that shows the water cycle.
Credit: designua/BigStock Photo ID: 104061326

The rain is cleaner, but now it’s full of plastic and forever chemicals

A generation after acid rain was largely eliminated, scientists say rainfall is now carrying something even more insidious — microplastics and forever chemicals that are nearly impossible to remove.

Benji Jones reports for Vox.

Keep reading...Show less
The U.S. Capitol building and steps in Washington, DC. with a blue sky in background.

House spending bill could lead to government shutdown

House Republicans have introduced a stopgap spending bill that would cut billions from energy and environmental programs, but Democratic opposition could stall the measure and push the government toward a shutdown.

Andres Picon reports for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Interior of an empty, wood-paneled trial court.

Trump administration sued over frozen climate funds

A coalition that was awarded $7 billion for climate and housing projects has sued the Trump administration and Citibank, accusing them of unlawfully blocking access to the funds.

Gloria Gonzalez reports for POLITICO.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.