The GOP’s Favorite Climate Excuse Makes a Comeback in the Trump Administration

Ryan Zinke is not a scientist.

Ron Sachs/CNP via ZUMA

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


It’s been a while since “I’m not a scientist” was the go-to line for Republican politicians confronted with uncomfortable questions about climate change. But the infamous talking point made a big comeback at Tuesday’s confirmation hearing for Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Interior Department.

During the hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asked Zinke whether he agrees with the president-elect’s view that climate change is a “hoax.”

“I’m not a climate scientist expert, but I can tell you I will become a lot more familiar with it.”

Zinke responded that he does believe the “climate is changing” and cited his own experience of watching glaciers in Montana’s Glacier National Park recede. Zinke added that “man has had an influence—I think that is undisputable as well.”

Zinke said climate change isn’t a hoax, but from there, his answer got muddier. He reverted to the classic not-a-scientist logic we’ve heard before from his colleagues.

“I’m not a climate scientist expert, but I can tell you I will become a lot more familiar with it,” he said. “And it will be based on objective science.”

Zinke insisted that “there’s a debate” on what exactly man’s influence on the climate is, as well as on “what we can do about it.” As head of Interior, he noted he could turn to experts at the United States Geological Survey. “We have great scientists there,” he said, adding, “There’s a lot of debate on both sides of the aisle.”

Sanders cut him off there, saying, “Well, actually, there’s not a whole lot of debate now. The scientific community is virtually unanimous that climate change is real and causing devastating problems. There is a debate on this committee but not within the scientific community.”

The issue came up again later in the hearing when Zinke said, “I’m not an expert in this field,” regarding climate change’s threat to national security.

“That to me is a cop out,” Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) replied. “I’m not a doctor, but I have to make health care decisions.”

The GOP regularly cycles through reasons for ignoring the scientific consensus that humans are largely responsible for climate change. The “I’m not a scientist” line is one of the most famous of these excuses. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, and Jeb Bush have all used it.

The phrase became so well known that President Barack Obama had his own rejoinder: “I’ve heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they’re not scientists—that we don’t have enough information to act. Well, I’m not a scientist, either. But you know what? I know a lot of really good scientists at NASA and NOAA and at our major universities.”

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate